The Los Angeles Lakers aren't one of the frontrunners for Giannis Antetokounmpo, as trade rumors swirl around after ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania's latest report that the superstar is "ready for a new home," and that the Bucks are "starting to listen" to offers, but as the past has proven, you can't count the purple and gold out. Refer back to less than a year ago when they got Luka Dončić, whose presence alone is enough to lure Giannis to Hollywood.
You might be wondering what Giannis potentially wanting to play for the Lakers has to do with it, since the Bucks will technically control where he goes, but after this season, he will have one guaranteed year left on his current contract. He has a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season that he could decline next summer to become an unrestricted free agent.
A team could trade for Giannis without reassurance that he will be around for more than one full season, but given what the Bucks want for him, an organization will want some form of commitment.
So, if LA is one of his preferred destinations, Milwaukee could do him a favor by at least engaging in talks with the Lakers. It'd take some maneuvering for a trade to happen, but one wouldn't be impossible.
Giannis Antetokounmpo could be in favor of a Lakers trade
If Los Angeles didn't have Luka, the Lakers would still try to make a push for Giannis (why wouldn't they?), but having a 26-year-old superstar gives the organization an edge. Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he wants to win a second title, which is why he's willing to leave Milwaukee, and the odds of doing that with Luka are higher than what they'd be if it were just LeBron in town.
Last February, when discussing the Luka trade, Giannis said he wanted "all the Europeans to go to all the big markets to see something incredible." No, he didn't specifically say he wanted to go to a big market, but we know that over the offseason, his top trade destination was New York. It might still be, but based on that, you can assume he's considered playing in LA.
He talked about how important it is that a European player is the face of the Lakers, so why not join him, right?
Unfortunately, it won't be that easy, but one of the endless perks of the Luka trade is that he will draw other stars to Los Angeles. The Bucks will have the final say in where Giannis will go, but he'll have some pull.