In terms of trying to improve their roster for next season, the Los Angeles Lakers can go in one of several directions this summer. One option that has been discussed many times over the last several months is trading for disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo, 31, just finished an injury-riddled season with a Bucks team that missed the playoffs and is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It is widely expected that he will be shipped elsewhere at some point this offseason, perhaps within the next several weeks or so, and the Lakers are reportedly one team that will try to land him.
One question is what the Lakers will offer for the two-time MVP. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania went on “The Rich Eisen Show” and suggested that they could simply absorb him into their salary cap space and offer draft picks as compensation.
“The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline. Right now, what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks in cap space and essentially absorb Giannis’s contract,” Charania said. “Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space for three first-round picks? Like, my sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We’ll know in the next six weeks.”
The problem with that type of offer is that other teams, such as the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, two teams rumored to be on Antetokounmpo’s list of desired destinations, can offer both draft compensation and players to Milwaukee. Eric Pincus, a writer for Bleacher Report, took a shot at suggesting how the Lakers could land Antetokounmpo with a package the Bucks could consider more palatable.
Pincus’ suggestion has L.A. landing Antetokounmpo, a $12.4 trade exception and a $4.2 million trade exception while sending Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr., a 2031 first-round draft pick and a 2032 protected first-round pick swap to the Bucks.
“Reaves opts out of his $14.9 million for 2026-27 to ink a four-year, $172 million contract with the Lakers as part of a sign-and-trade to the Bucks,” Pincus explained. “Milwaukee triggers a first-apron hard cap at a projected $209.1 million to take in four Lakers for Antetokounmpo. Nick Smith Jr. is absorbed separately on a minimum contract, but he delays the entire transaction until July 12. If that’s an issue, Bronny James can be substituted to push the trade up to July 6.
“The Lakers aggregate Reaves, LaRavia and Smith into an expanded traded player exception for Antetokounmpo, with a first-apron hard cap. The team receives trade exceptions for Vanderbilt and Knecht. The 2031 first-round pick is unprotected, but the 2032 swap is top-5 protected; otherwise, it conveys as a 2033 second-rounder.”
Pincus also gave another variation of the same deal that would allow Los Angeles to keep Reaves, who has become its second scoring option.
“An alternative trade between the Lakers and Bucks for Antetokounmpo could center on Rui Hachimura instead of Reaves, also via sign-and-trade. Los Angeles could get to three firsts (including whomever the Lakers preselected at No. 25) and three first swaps if the Bucks preferred draft considerations and the financial flexibility of Hachimura at a $20 million starting salary instead of Reaves’ $40 million. This also assumes Hachimura doesn’t earn more elsewhere.
“Reaves could also refuse to go to the Bucks to re-sign with the Lakers, or he could join another team with cap room like the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls or a mystery franchise willing to trade for the space needed to give him a lucrative contract.”
Pincus also added that landing Antetokounmpo could mean the end of LeBron James’ time with the Lakers, simply because they may not have the cap space to keep him. He also pointed out that after landing Antetokounmpo, L.A. could bring back Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes, while also having the $9.4 room mid-level exception. All other free agents would have to sign for the veteran minimum salary.
That would leave the team with a top-heavy roster that may not have the depth and athleticism to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs come playoff time. On the other hand, perhaps management would be crafty enough to fill out the roster enough to give the Lakers a real shot right away at winning the NBA championship.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insiders suggest possible Lakers offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo