The possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Los Angeles Lakers has become one of the most discussed storylines ahead of the 2026 offseason. According to NBA insider Eric Pincus, the scenario is complicated but far from impossible if several key factors fall into place.
Speaking on the Buha’s Block podcast with Jovan Buha, Pincus explained that the first and most important hurdle is Antetokounmpo himself. If the two-time MVP is not interested in playing in Los Angeles, the entire conversation ends immediately.
“Let’s take the premise that despite those hurdles they get Giannis on board. That’s step one. If he’s not on board, it’s a dead end. He can opt out after a year. The Lakers could take that risk and send three firsts, and Giannis says, ‘I don’t want to be here,’ and they do it anyway. They’ve done that before.”
“Jeanie Buss has experience with that with Dwight Howard, when they traded for Dwight even though he was pretty clear he didn’t necessarily want to be there, and then he left after a year. So if you get Giannis on board, the next question is does his agent push for it, and how hard? They’re not trading him unless Giannis or his agent pushes hard. Then it’s a question of where he’s pushing.”
Antetokounmpo still has control over his future because he could opt out after a year if he is traded somewhere he does not want to be. That means any team pursuing him must first convince him that their situation makes sense long term.
For the Lakers, the main selling point would be the chance to form a new superstar partnership alongside Luka Doncic, who has already become the franchise’s centerpiece. Pairing a 31-year-old Giannis with a 27-year-old Doncic could immediately create one of the most dominant duos in the league.
However, acquiring Antetokounmpo is not simple from a financial standpoint. Giannis is expected to make roughly $58 million next season, meaning the Lakers would need significant cap space or a complex trade structure to absorb his contract.
According to Pincus, one path would involve the Lakers clearing salary and using their cap space to acquire him directly from the Milwaukee Bucks. If certain contracts come off the books, Los Angeles could potentially reach around $53 million in cap space, putting them within striking distance of Giannis’ salary.
In that situation, the Lakers could move smaller contracts or role players such as Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, or Jarred Vanderbilt to bridge the remaining gap.
Another possibility would involve a sign-and-trade centered around Austin Reaves. Reaves is expected to opt out of his current deal and command a much larger contract in free agency. If he were willing to participate in a sign-and-trade, he could become the centerpiece of a deal that sends value back to Milwaukee.
“The other path is a sign-and-trade involving Austin Reaves. Austin going to Milwaukee seems like a stretch, and he’d have to choose that.”
But even that scenario comes with challenges.
Because of these complications, Pincus suggested that multi-team trades could become the most realistic way for a deal to materialize. In today’s NBA, blockbuster trades often involve three or four teams to balance contracts, draft picks, and player value.
For example, another team could absorb certain contracts while Milwaukee collects draft assets and younger players in return. That type of structure could allow the Lakers to land Antetokounmpo while still sending enough value to the Bucks.
“There are some wild possibilities too. For example, a LeBron sign-and-trade scenario. I wrote an article saying that’s extremely unlikely, and someone aggregated it like I was proposing the Lakers trading LeBron to Milwaukee for Giannis. For a LeBron sign-and-trade, he’d have to sign a three-year deal without options. Maybe three years fully guaranteed or partially guaranteed. I’m not sure LeBron signs anything partially guaranteed.”
“Let’s say Cleveland wanted to bring LeBron home and did something like three years, $90 million, and planned to stretch the money. I’m just making up numbers here. Please don’t aggregate this. In some theoretical universe where Cleveland participates, maybe Jarett Allen goes somewhere, maybe another team gets involved. In today’s NBA, multi-team trades are almost required to make big deals happen.”
“Another possibility: Utah likes Austin Reaves. I’ve heard that from people I trust. The Lakers have been linked to Walker Kessler for a long time. So theoretically, you could do a sign-and-trade where Austin goes to Utah, Kessler comes to the Lakers, draft compensation moves around, and Milwaukee receives some of the picks. You could build a frontcourt of Giannis, Luka, and Kessler.”
“But again the issue in almost all these scenarios is depth. Giannis makes about $58 million. Almost every path to acquiring him leaves the Lakers with three big salaries and then minimum players filling out the roster.”
Still, even if the Lakers successfully pull off the move, roster depth would become a serious concern. Giannis’ massive salary would likely leave Los Angeles with three major contracts at the top of the payroll, meaning the rest of the roster would have to be filled with minimum deals and inexpensive role players.
That could make the first season more of a transition year as the team builds around its new superstar core.
There is also another strategic wrinkle in play. The Lakers could use their projected 2027 cap space as leverage against Milwaukee. If Antetokounmpo strongly prefers Los Angeles, the franchise could simply wait until he becomes available in free agency rather than trading valuable assets immediately.
In other words, the Lakers may not have the strongest trade package on paper, but they do have something powerful: leverage, market appeal, and the opportunity to play alongside Luka Doncic. If Giannis decides he wants to be in Los Angeles, that combination could ultimately force the situation.
