Los Angeles Lakers fans holding out hope for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade should probably adjust their mindset ASAP.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reminded us all on Monday that the Lakers don't have room in their present or future blueprint for Giannis.
Jake Fischer bluntly states that the Lakers aren't a Giannis destination
"I’ve got no indication that the Lakers consider themselves a current player for Giannis," Fischer said during a live stream for Bleacher Report.
Fischer then outlined some of the reasons why.
The Lakers are planning to re-sign Austin Reaves this summer to a max deal, which would give them two such contracts, with Luka Doncic locked in through 2027-28.
If LA were to trade for Giannis, thereby creating a Big 3 with Doncic, Reaves, and Antetokounmpo, they'd be completely strapped financially when it comes to building any sort of depth. That's far from a championship recipe.
President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has the opposite vision in mind for the upcoming summer. Pelinka is planning to use his newfound flexibility -- granted by the expiration of LeBron James' contract -- to start building a deep, contending roster around Luka, possibly in the style of the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks.
By the way, even if the Lakers did want to trade for Giannis, would they really be able to entice the Bucks? The answer is a resounding no, especially if you are envisioning a conversation happening before Thursday's deadline.
Los Angeles only has one tradable first-round pick, and Milwaukee has every reason to demand several in a deal for Giannis. This fact alone rules out the Lakers from being a landing spot for Antetokounmpo this season.
Moving past this season, is there a world in which the Lakers eventually trade Reaves (and draft capital) for Giannis? It's hard to imagine. Even when LA gains further first-rounders with which to deal, there'll be other franchises that have far more, and thus are better trade partners for Antetokounmpo.
Also, Giannis's timeline is running out. He himself can enter free agency in 2027. Why would the Lakers give up significant assets for Antetokounmpo before then, rather than just concoct a plan to sign him two offseasons from now?
By then, Pelinka will have more information about what's working (or not working) with a Doncic-Reaves backcourt. A decision to move Reaves and create room for a Doncic-Giannis dynamic duo could arrive, but not until the summer of '27.