The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly not the most asset-heavy team in the NBA. Their potential involvement in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes hinges solely on the Milwaukee Bucks superstar specifically choosing them as his next destination.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has indicated there is an expectation of that being the case. Not necessarily that Antetokounmpo has chosen the Lakers, but rather the two-time MVP controlling his own future.
Pincus wrote, “Several agents polled at the recent NBA combine in Chicago believe that the former NBA MVP will direct the Bucks to send him to his preferred location, whatever that might be. The closer he gets to the end of his contract, the greater his power to dissuade other suitors.”
The scenario described above by the national NBA writer is trending towards the best case of circumstances for the Lakers. Rob Pelinka is not a strong contender in this race, unless it involves only his organization and maybe a couple of others.
Lakers hopes should be up, but the drama is far from over
Anyone who is invested in the possibility of Antetokounmpo donning purple and gold is clinging onto the rumor Howard Beck provided earlier in the Lakers offseason. It was music to the ears of anyone listening to The Zach Lowe Show.
Beck told Zach Lowe, “I poked around a little bit a few days ago and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities: One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market.”
When that is combined with Pincus’ intel, one could certainly talk themselves into the Lakers being a destination that would be preferable for the former Finals MVP. Of course, that also ignores the other markets mentioned and a few possible hints that Antetokounmpo dropped on Twitter/X recently.
New York https://t.co/uJQRe2ID7O
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) May 18, 2025
The hope certainly exists in Los Angeles right now. Lakers fans will undoubtedly feel like anything is possible after the blockbuster trade that landed Luka Doncic in Hollywood.
However, a key element of that was the lack of competition in the Doncic sweepstakes. There were no preceding talks of a potential exit for the former Dallas Mavericks superstar. The Lakers managed to keep things quiet and ensure themselves as the only candidates.
That will not be the case here. Pelinka and crew will need a shortlist from Antetokounmpo that includes them and very few others.