If Los Angeles Lakers fans thought the regular season and postseason were filled with rumors and drama, buckle up because the offseason is bound to be 10 times more chaotic.Â
It didn’t even take a whole day before the rumors of a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade surfaced. The Athletic's Dan Woike and Sam Amick reported that the Lakers are expected to be aggressive this summer and explore a Giannis trade.
This report also included that Luka Doncic was against the idea of including Austin Reaves in a deal for the Milwaukee Bucks superstar. It was mentioned that Luka would prefer to have things built around him and Reaves and acquire a star to complement them.
In general, the idea of trading for Giannis sounds horrible and is something the Lakers have to avoid at all costs. So hearing that Luka has already shown hesitancy to have LA go through with a big move like that because of his connection with Reaves is an encouraging sign.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Lakers have tradeable first-round picks, cap space, and a superstar in the prime of his career with Luka. They don’t need Giannis.
Lakers need to focus on Luka Doncic and building around him
The 2025-26 Lakers tried the whole big three thing with Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron James. It failed because they lacked depth.
Giannis, at this point, may be better than both LeBron and AR put together, but at the same time, this team's lack of depth and overall talent is what sank them in the postseason. Mortgaging the opportunity to address those glaring needs like a true center and a real point of attack defender for Antetokounmpo isn’t worth it.
The 2024 Dallas Mavericks team that Luka led to the NBA Finals had a recipe the Lakers could easily copy this summer. In no way does it involve Giannis.
LA already has its Kyrie Irving-like dynamic two-guard in AR. Now, they just need to sign a back-to-the-basket lob-catching big, and 3-and-D wings. Between Reaves and Luka, the Lakers' backcourt will provide enough scoring; they just need role players to clean up the edges.Â
Outside of not needing Giannis from a roster-building standpoint, he also proved to be a major health risk this past season, playing in just 36 games. At 31 years old, and given his physical style of play on both ends of the court, the amount of stress he is putting on his body is likely to catch up to him.Â
Using the Lakers’ three tradeable first-round picks, along with likely Reaves and another piece or two, to get an aging superstar who is going to need a massive extension doesn’t seem smart.Â
If things were different and LA didn’t have a new franchise player in Doncic, it would be understandable going all in on Giannis and trying to build around him. That’s just not the case.
Instead of star hunting, the Lakers should focus on building a complete roster around Luka. The idea is great and, in theory, would make the Lakeshow instant title favorites. Trading for Giannis isn’t worth having the rest of the Lakers roster filled out by minimum contract players and guys who can’t stay on the court in the postseason.
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