The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the NBA world by landing Luka Doncic in the winter. Doncic was widely considered an unattainable talent as he was a five-time All-NBA guard at age 25 who was coming off a Finals appearance with the Dallas Mavericks. Now that the Lakers have landed someone people thought was unattainable, it seems like the ceiling on such insane acquisitions is limitless.
Naturally, this logic has led to more dream targets being floated to be Doncic's long-term co-star after LeBron James retires from the sport. Bleacher Report suggested the Lakers target two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"The Lakers already landed a dream target in Luka Dončić, but the franchise is greedy. If Antetokounmpo demands out, a combination of salaries, talent and picks could get him to Los Angeles. It's a stretch, but it'd be remiss to leave him out if this is a team's wish list."
The article also suggested more realistic options like often-linked Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and former Doncic teammate in Dallas Daniel Gafford, both filling the team's biggest hole at center.
Imagining a situation where the Lakers land Giannis as soon as next summer feels completely unreasonable, even if Giannis' stint in Milwaukee blows up badly over the summer. He's still performing at a high level, averaging 30.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.
The Bucks might naturally choose to keep the Lakers out if they believe Giannis did this as a move to force his way to LA. However, with Giannis' contract expiring in 2028, he will exercise a lot of control over his future. This could guarantee he ends up on the Lakers one way or the other, with the earliest as a free agent being in 2027.
A Doncic-Antetokounmpo duo would be incredible, especially if Antetokounmpo moves to being a full-time center on the Lakers. If LeBron James chooses to take a major discount during his summer contract negotiations to enable Giannis to join, the franchise could find itself on the cusp of an absolutely incredible 2025-26 season.
Imagining A Mock Trade Bringing Giannis To LA
A Giannis' trade would likely lead to the Lakers losing every rotational player they have right now. It'd include Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jarred Vanderbilt at the minimum for contract, with some adjustments if the Bucks demand Dalton Knecht back in the deal.
Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, 2031 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2028 First-Round Pick Swap (LAL), 2030 First-Round Pick Swap (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyler Smith
The Bucks could fetch bigger offers depending on what they want. They could attract a higher-potential young star than Reaves or Knecht or they could get a lot more draft compensation. Even if Giannis is on a short-term contract, teams will be willing to pay a high price just for a season or two, with the hope they can retain him.
The Lakers could just address their hole at center like this by using Giannis in that position as he ages into his 30s. With a pick-and-roll duo like Luka and Giannis with LeBron also on the court, the Lakers could be easy title favorites provided they fill out the roster with the right pieces.
They'll retain low-production players on mid-sized expiring contracts like Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber, alongside valuable win-now players like Dorian Finney-Smith. Outside of that, they'll basically have to reconstruct a competent roster around the Luka-LeBron-Giannis trio primarily with minimum contracts.
It's hard to gauge what kind of salary the Lakers would have to work with as James will definitely take a pay cut if the franchise can deliver the acquisition of Giannis to him. This will dictate how much salary cap or apron room the Lakers have, but if LeBron is feeling generous and the Lakers have a legitimate chance at a title, he might take the biggest cut possible.
