The Milwaukee Bucks are not having a strong season. They hold a 23-30 record and have struggled to stay near the top of the standings. This situation has increased talk about the future of their franchise star, and trade rumors have grown louder. Now the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the main teams linked to him.
NBA Insider’s Latest Revelation Regarding the Lakers
Before the February 5 trade deadline, many analysts believed the Lakers had a strong case to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. His name appeared in multiple trade discussions.
“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye on from Giannis’ standpoint, just as another team of interest. But again, there’s a difficulty there in terms of trade assets.”
“They’re another team where, once the summer comes, they got more on the draft capital side of things, and they got more clarity once they figure out where LeBron is or isn’t and where Austin Reaves is because he’s a free agent,” said the Ringer’s Howard Beck.
The Bucks addressed those rumors before the deadline. If we see the front office announced that they would keep Antetokounmpo on the roster for the rest of the season. They also stated they would listen to offers again during the 2026 offseason. This decision temporarily slowed the rumors.
The rumors have now returned. In a recent ESPN report, NBA insider Dave McMenamin shared an important update. He reported that the Lakers believe they have a realistic chance to land Antetokounmpo in the future.
“THE LAKERS, TEAM sources told ESPN, obviously see the appeal in Antetokounmpo and believe they would be one of the teams on a very short list if the Bucks star asks for a trade out of Milwaukee.”
“A Western Conference executive told ESPN he believes Antetokounmpo is the “big prize” the Lakers hope to land, should the Milwaukee Bucks decide to trade the 2021 NBA Finals MVP in the offseason,” McMenamin wrote in his report.
Antetokounmpo entered the NBA after the Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He developed into one of the best players in the league. He won two MVP awards and led the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021.
In October 2023, he signed a three-year veteran contract extension worth $175,369,698. This extension began in the 2025-26 season. The deal runs through the 2027-28 season. For the current season, he earns a base salary of $54,126,450. Now this contract shows his value and importance to the Bucks.
This season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, while shooting an outstanding 64.5% from the field. If he were to join the Lakers his constant drives to the basket would instantly help the team’s interior dominance.
He would provide a reliable rebounding support that complements the roster’s perimeter-oriented pieces perfectly. Players like Austin Reaves would benefit the most from the Greek Freak’s presence, as his ability to draw defenses inside would open up massive amounts of space for Reaves to shoot and create from the outside.
Now what actually happens remains to be seen. If we see the 2026 offseason is still ahead and a lot can change between now and then.
