The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t really make a splash at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but they believe they can potentially make one in the summer. Lakers insider Dave McMenamin reports the team believes Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would have them on his wish list if he asks for a trade in the offseason.
“The Lakers, team sources told ESPN, obviously see the appeal in Antetokounmpo and believe they would be one of the teams on a very short list if the Bucks star asks for a trade out of Milwaukee.
“A Western Conference executive told ESPN he believes Antetokounmpo is the ‘big prize’ the Lakers hope to land, should the Milwaukee Bucks decide to trade the 2021 NBA Finals MVP in the offseason.”
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game for the Bucks in 2025-26. The 31-year-old is by far the best player who could potentially become available in the summer.
There will be plenty of teams interested in acquiring Antetokounmpo if he is on the trade market. A bidding war could well break out, and the Lakers would be offering a package centered around their 2026, 2031, and 2033 first-round picks.
“The Lakers’ offer would center on those three future first-round picks, which could be more appealing to Milwaukee if it intends to enter into a full reset post Antetokounmpo, rather than rebuilding on the fly with an offer from a team like the New York Knicks that would center on players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.”
The Lakers are in a position to offer three first-round picks because they didn’t make a splash at the deadline. They could have traded either their 2031 or 2032 first-round pick in a win-now move, but decided against it. The Lakers only opted to part with Gabe Vincent and their 2032 second-round pick to land Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was criticized for not making a bigger move, but if he lands Antetokounmpo in the summer because of it, then all will obviously be forgiven. You wonder what else Pelinka would offer apart from those picks, though.
Is a package of three first-rounders, some pick swaps, and role players enough for the Bucks to part with Antetokounmpo? Probably not. You’d imagine they’d want Austin Reaves, which would complicate matters. The Lakers have shown no indication that they’d be willing to part with Reaves, so it won’t be easy to get a deal over the line even if he does become available.
As for Antetokounmpo’s thoughts about his future, he has sent mixed messages. The nine-time All-Star made it clear he is committed to the team for now and would never say he doesn’t want to be with them. Antetokounmpo also added, though, that he has tasted winning a championship once and wants to experience it again.
If the Bucks, who are currently 23-30 in 2025-26, can put together a good enough team around Antetokounmpo in the summer, he could well end up staying. The chances of them doing that aren’t great, though. They don’t have great assets to offer in trades to strengthen their roster to the point where they could go toe to toe with the heavyweights. A parting of ways looks inevitable, but time will tell.
