Giannis Antetokounmpo is almost guaranteed to be traded. That's a crazy thing to say, and I never thought it would actually come to this, but here we are. His time with the Bucks is likely over — and if Los Angeles Lakers fans want any chance of landing Giannis and pairing him with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they must hope that he is not dealt before Thursday at 3 PM EST.
At the moment, the Lakers are not players in the Giannis sweepstakes. They don't have the assets to compete with offers from teams like Minnesota or Miami. Frankly, they might not have a competitive offer in the summer, either, but they could at least feasibly be in the running... Assuming LeBron James is not on the Lakers next season.
If James is no longer a Laker, that would clear up (potentially) the requisite cap space for the Lakers to make a run at a Giannis trade. If LeBron does re-sign with the Lakers, that's no longer a possibility.
That's the bittersweet situation that confronts Lakers fans right now. In order to have any shouting chance at acquiring Giannis, it will come at the cost of the GOAT. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), all rumors are pointing toward LeBron's departure from the team anyway — which will save the Lakers from having to choose, at least.
Lakers can get into Giannis sweepstakes if LeBron heads elsewhere
It's been said before, but LeBron's next move remains a mystery to everyone (potentially including himself). But a return to the Lakers feels like the least likely option, with a retirement tour in Cleveland seemingly leading the way if we're reading the tea leaves, and an actual retirement also feeling realistic.
Replacing LeBron with Giannis is the most Lakers thing that could possibly happen, because when this franchise loses one star, it adds another almost immediately. I say that with no bitterness, Lakers fans, I swear!
To do that, though, the Lakers might need some help from Giannis himself. If the superstar makes it clear that he desires to land in Los Angeles, the Lakers wouldn't have to cobble together as massive a package. If Giannis is ambivalent about where he lands, though, the Lakers might be SOL, as a handful of other teams would have far more compelling offers than the Lakers.
To even get to that point, though, the Lakers will first need to say goodbye