Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lakers
Getty
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks hug after the Lakers defeated the Bucks.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ ability to meaningfully enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes may hinge less on appetite and more on timing.
As the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline approaches, league insiders continue to paint a divided picture of how — and when — the Milwaukee Bucks might ultimately part with their franchise cornerstone. That uncertainty has direct implications for the Lakers, whose current asset limitations make an in-season blockbuster difficult but not entirely impossible.
League Split on Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Timeline
According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, there is no leaguewide consensus on whether Antetokounmpo will be moved before the deadline or pushed into the offseason.
“Some (stress: some) teams out there believe that the Bucks are trying to gauge various aspects of Antetokounmpo’s marketplace before giving true consideration to trading him in the summer,” Stein and Fischer wrote Saturday in The Stein Line. “Or to buy themselves even more time to see what happens in May’s draft lottery first amid a growing expectation now that 18–28 Milwaukee could spend the rest of the season prioritizing draft positioning.”
At the same time, they reported a sharply contrasting belief circulating among rival front offices.
“Yet it must be noted just as strongly that various teams involved in the Antetokounmpo chase believe that, from his camp’s side, there is a preference to push a trade through before the deadline — even in the absence of a clearly stated public demand for such an outcome,” Stein and Fischer added.
That internal tension — patience versus urgency — has left contenders and hopefuls alike preparing for multiple scenarios.
Bucks Listening, But Not Rushing
ESPN insider Shams Charania reported this week that Milwaukee has begun listening to offers, a notable shift after years of public resistance to any Giannis trade speculation.
“Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as several teams have made aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks, who are starting to listen,” Charania reported Wednesday.
Still, Charania emphasized that Milwaukee remains under no pressure to act quickly.
“Multiple teams have received a sense that the Bucks are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline,” he wrote. “However, Milwaukee has indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to complete a move and is willing to navigate Antetokounmpo’s future in the offseason if its believed price point of a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks isn’t met.”
Antetokounmpo, 31, becomes eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million supermax extension on Oct. 1. If no extension is reached, he could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 by declining a $62.8 million player option — a timeline that gives the Bucks leverage rather than urgency.
Lakers Remain a Watch Team — With Caveats
Despite their current limitations, the Lakers continue to surface in league chatter. Howard Beck of The Ringer said Antetokounmpo’s camp still views Los Angeles as a franchise to monitor.
“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye on from Giannis’ standpoint,” Beck said on The Zach Lowe Show. “But, again, there’s a difficulty there in terms of trade assets.”
That difficulty is substantial — at least in February.
The Lakers currently have only one first-round pick available to trade at the deadline, either 2031 or 2032, due to prior obligations and Stepien Rule restrictions. Their most valuable young player, Austin Reaves, earns $13.9 million this season, a salary that complicates trade matching and falls short of the “blue-chip” profile Milwaukee is believed to seek.
Without multiple first-round picks or a premium prospect under a team-controlled contract, Los Angeles is unlikely to outbid deeper-asset rivals before Feb. 5.
Offseason Path Remains the Lakers’ Best Bet
Where the Lakers’ outlook changes dramatically is in timing.
Once the calendar flips to the offseason, Los Angeles could unlock additional draft capital and gain clarity on the future of LeBron James, whose next decision will shape the franchise’s direction. Reaves’ contract status could also open sign-and-trade pathways unavailable during the season.
For now, however, the Lakers remain more observer than aggressor — closely watching a league split on Antetokounmpo’s future while quietly preparing for a window that may not fully open until summer.
In a trade cycle defined by uncertainty, timing may ultimately decide whether Los Angeles ever gets a seat at the table.