Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The Lakers could be the frontrunner in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes now that the Bucks won't trade him until the summer
The Los Angeles Lakers have been fairly quiet ahead of the trade deadline, and that isn’t much of a surprise considering the team’s current situation. While the Lakers are stuck in the first apron of the salary cap for the time being, they are expected to have ample cap space over the upcoming offseason, which would help them pursue the sort of blockbuster deal that fans have been hoping to see the team make this year.
One big move, or lack thereof, that could have a major impact on Los Angeles moving forward is the Milwaukee Bucks‘ decision not to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, the team prefers to wait until the offseason, as they believe they can get a bigger haul in return for him. And assuming he gets traded over the offseason, that would be a huge win for the Lakers because of the potential trade offer they could send the Bucks’ way.
Lakers’ Pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo Gets a Major Boost
Legion Hoops
The Lakers could offer (sign-and-trade) Austin Reaves, 3 1st-round picks, and major cap relief to the Bucks this summer for Giannis to help jumpstart Milwaukee’s rebuild, per @JacobRude.
With the Bucks beginning to listen to trade offers on Antetokounmpo ahead of the deadline, the Lakers immediately stood out as a potential landing spot for him, and reports indicated they were interested in him. The problem was that other teams could offer better packages for Antetokounmpo right now than the Lakers could, which seemed to indicate they weren’t going to land him.
In a turn of events, though, Milwaukee has reportedly decided to hold onto Antetokounmpo for the time being and trade him over the offseason. With fewer salary cap restrictions in place, this will allow teams to offer more Antetokounmpo, which means the Bucks will get a better bang for their buck (no pun intended).
This is a big win for the Lakers, because they currently project to have around $50 million in cap space available over the upcoming offseason. That would allow them the freedom to take a big swing for Antetokounmpo, and according to Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll, he believes that a trade offer built around Austin Reaves and three first-round draft picks could be enough to get a deal done, given all the salary cap woes Milwaukee is currently dealing with.
“One major appeal in the Lakers’ package will be the cap relief they can offer Milwaukee,” Rude wrote. “Does that mean Austin Reaves will be involved in a potential sign-and-trade? He’s certainly the best player the Bucks could get back, but it requires the Lakers to be willing to trade him and for Reaves to want to go to Milwaukee. With him, the Lakers would have the best trade package. Without him, it becomes much more of a debate.”
Should the Lakers Trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
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GettyDespite interest from the Warriors, Timberwolves, Heat, and Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks have made a decision on a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
There are still so many different developments that could shake up the Antetokounmpo trade landscape. While the Lakers are going to have more freedom to make a big offer for his services, the same is true for every other team in the league. In this specific scenario, Los Angeles would also need to get Austin Reaves to sign off on this trade, and there’s no guarantee that would happen.
Assuming Antetokounmpo doesn’t get traded before the deadline, which seems to be set to happen, then the Lakers would have to be considered one of the favorites to acquire him over the offseason. Obviously, anytime you have a shot to land a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber, you pull the trigger on that deal. As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see L.A. make a big push for the Greek superstar if he becomes available over the offseason.