The Los Angeles Lakers are among the many teams gearing up for a summer that they hope will feature a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade request (or whatever his version of that is). As Ramona Shelburne said on Monday's episode of ESPN's NBA Today, she has "always heard his name connected to the Lakers for years now. It is not a coincidence that they have left this summer open to have this cap space."
LA's quiet deadline, in which it sent Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to Atlanta for Luke Kennard's expiring contract, showed what the front office is prioritizing. It's not gearing up for a deep postseason run, although the team is currently the No. 5 seed in the West. The Lakers are continuing to focus on the future.
Pairing Antetokounmpo with Luka Dončić makes too much sense. If Giannis does ask out, he will have leverage in where he ends up, as he could decline his player option for the 2027-28 season to become an unrestricted free agent. A team won't want to give up a combination of draft assets and young players for only one-year of the superstar — and that's where the Lakers come in.
We know that Antetokounmpo was interested in a trade to New York over other teams last offseason, but the Knicks may not be at the very top of his list if the frenzy starts back up again. He has to have already thought about what it'd be like to play with Luka in LA, because why wouldn't he?
Lakers have been preparing to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo
With Luka, who will turn 27 at the end of the month, Los Angeles has an advantage over other teams. As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported before the deadline, Antetokounmpo had an interest in teaming up with Anthony Edwards, 24, and Tyrese Maxey, 25. The Stein Line also reported that he may not be interested in joining an older team like the Warriors.
If the Lakers get Giannis, they'll have another reason on a list of a million reasons to be grateful for the Dončić trade. Having a youngster superstar helps them in more ways than one.
While no one truly knows what will happen with Antetokounmpo (he may not even know himself), everyone does know that the Lakers will be right in there in the mix for his services if he becomes available. It is the moment they've been waiting for, and with the three first-round picks they'll have access to over the summer, along with a package potentially built around Austin Reaves (sorry), LA could come out on top as the winner of the Giannis sweepstakes.