They could go the simple route of securing top free agents — not an impressive list this summer — by offering them more than most other teams can. But they can also use their cap space to acquire players via trade without having to send back significant, or any, salary. And that could be the plan with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo is slated to make $58.5 million in 2026-27, then has a player option worth $62.8 million for 2027-28. Right now, he has yet to give any serious indication that he wants to leave Milwaukee — same as it has been for nearly a half-decade — but the Lakers may be holding on hope that they can land him if he changes his mind this summer, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

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.

But Antetokounmpo is no guarantee to be traded, despite how the saga has played out with the Bucks and their longtime superstar so far. The Lakers know Milwaukee can use the offseason to try to make the team more competitive and persuade him to sign an extension, which he becomes eligible to do on Oct. 1, rather than accept trading him as an inevitability.

The first issue here is that Giannis has not requested a trade and the Bucks have given no indication that they would trade him without a request. There were some rumblings ahead of the deadline, but nothing came to fruition, echoing similar sentiments from year’s past.

If he does request a trade and does name the Lakers on his shortlist, the question then becomes if they have enough to win the bidding war among Antetokounmpo’s preferred teams. L.A. would be able to offer three first-round picks and three swaps on draft night this summer.

They also would have to figure out with Reaves if he would be willing to go to Milwaukee and if the Bucks want him back, as coordinating it as a sign-and-trade with Reaves might be the only way a deal gets done.

As it stands, all indications point towards trading for Giannis being a long-shot. But having cap space allows the flexibility to dream big without it completing disrupting long-term team building.

Luka Doncic calls Lakers organization better than Mavericks

One big way the Lakers could get Antetokounmpo on board is with some recruitment from Luka Doncic. And the Lakers star, by all accounts, has loved what he’s seen in the year-plus since arriving on the scene.

“I think the organization is better here. The Lakers are a truly legendary club and the organization is legendary too,” the Slovenian superstar blurted out.

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While some teams would love to deal for Antetokounmpo immediately, the Bucks themselves would obviously prefer to get the best possible return for their superstar and that is far more likely to happen in the offseason. As such, many have felt that the Bucks would decide to hold on to Giannis through the trade deadline.

And that now looks as if it will be the case as, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks have told teams that they will keep Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and instead, focus on making other deals:

The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026

This is great news for the Lakers and other teams across the league hoping to have a shot at acquiring Giannis from the Bucks. It also makes sense for Milwaukee as the teams interested in him now will still be there in the summer, along with many other teams looking to acquire him, which will only drive the price up higher and give them a bigger return.

For the Lakers specifically, they will have three first-round picks to offer in a Antetokounmpo trade in the offseason. Additionally, they will have plenty of salary cap space to work with with a number of contracts coming off the books, most notably LeBron James.

The Lakers made a smaller trade at the deadline already, acquiring Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks, but this franchise is always known to be on the lookout for a big superstar. Giannis fits that bill and with him now lasting to the offseason, the Lakers have the opportunity to put together their best offer to try and bring him to L.A.

Lakers looking to make a ‘big splash’ this offseason

The Lakers didn’t have many assets to make a major deal at the trade deadline, but the front office’s plan has always been focused on the summer of 2026 and the franchise is reportedly looking to make a ‘big splash’ with Antetokounmpo potentially being the focus.

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While star-level players like James Harden, Darius Garland and Jaren Jackson Jr. have already been dealt, the biggest name still on the board is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

With the Bucks struggling, it may finally be time to move Antetokounmpo to give him a chance to compete for titles before his best days are behind him.

There are a number of interested teams putting together packages to land the Greek star, but if the Bucks don’t get an offer to their liking then they could hold onto him for the rest of the season and revisit talks in the summer when teams have more to offer.

One of those teams is the Lakers, who only have one tradable first-round pick at their disposal now, but would have access to three in the summer. That’s not including pick swaps and second-rounders.

So with that being the case, NBA insider Marc Stein is reporting that the Lakers would become a viable option for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks if he is not traded before the deadline:

No one is talking about the Lakers as a factor in The Giannis Sweepstakes right now because they’re not a factor if a trade is going to happen by week’s end. They don’t have enough tradeable assets to join the in-season bidders.

But if the Bucks do ultimately decide to take this saga into that spring …

The Lakers, league sources say, would then indeed become a very viable threat to land No. 34.

There is little choice for the Lakers, heading into Thursday’s deadline, except to stay patient and avoid deals that involve any long-term salary to maintain maximum flexibility for the spring. The hope for the purple-and-gold would then be to use their considerable projected salary cap space to be able to take in a contract like Antetokounmpo’s via trade — or another expensive star if one shakes loose post-playoffs — to pair with backcourt cornerstones Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves (who returned to action Tuesday night in Brooklyn after a 19-game injury absence). And dealing with the Lakers in such a scenario would almost certainly spare the Bucks from getting saddled with unwanted contracts.

This isn’t the first time the Lakers have been linked to Giannis, and it’s no surprise as the organization is always looking to find its next star.

That is especially the case now that they have Luka Doncic signed long-term as he will need a true co-star in order to compete for a championship.

Perhaps Antetokounmpo is that star, but in order for it to be possible, he has to stay put in Milwaukee past Thursday’s deadline. If he does, then things could get interesting this summer when the Lakers have the cap space and draft capital to pull off something big.

Giannis Antetokoumpo looks up to LeBron James

After the Lakers recently played the Bucks, Antetokounmpo spoke about his admiration for LeBron James and how he has paved the way for all of the league’s current stars.

“I think he is the blueprint for every athlete, not just basketball athletes, on how to be consistent. To be consistent for 23 years, to be available, to be a winner, to lead by example,” Giannis said of LeBron. “It is incredible for me to be around greatness and I will never take it for granted. I have the utmost respect for him and his family and the way he has carried himself for 22 years. I think he brings the best out of me as a player and he’s one of those guys that I definitely look up to.”

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The problem for the Lakers is that they don’t have a ton of assets to include in a deal at the moment. The Bucks would surely want a lot in any deal for their superstar and the Lakers don’t have much to offer in terms of draft picks or promising young talent.

Once the offseason hits, however, that changes and the Lakers could offer multiple draft picks in a trade which could open the door for them. And according to The Ringer’s Howard Beck on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, they are a team to keep an eye on for a potential Giannis trade if this stretches into the offseason:

“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye 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.”

Of course, the Lakers are almost always mentioned as a possible destination any time a superstar becomes available, but they only really have a shot at landing Giannis if the Bucks wait to deal him in the offseason. Even then there will still be teams who can give more in a trade, so it could also require Antetokounmpo wanting to be dealt to the Lakers, similar to the Anthony Davis situation back in 2019.

That still feels like a longshot as Giannis has spoken more about a desire to join the New York Knicks rather than the Lakers. But somehow the Lakers have always found ways to land these superstars, and if they have the means to acquire Antetokounmpo, they will undoubtedly do everything in their power to bring him in.

Lakers’ LeBron James hasn’t thought about farewell tour or retirement yet

This offseason will also bring about questions for current Lakers superstar LeBron James, whose contract expires at the end of the season and will be an unrestricted free agent. He could also retire after his 23rd NBA season, but he recently revealed he hasn’t thought about whether this will be his final year yet.

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Particularly when it comes to facing top talent, it is challenging to predict those matchups due to the prevalence of injuries. An example is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the two parties had not played against each other since 2022.

Thankfully, both James and Antetokounmpo were healthy on Friday night, which led to an intriguing matchup. Both stars had their highlights and the Greek MVP acknowledged how much it means to play against an all-time great that he looks up to.

“It means a lot to me,” Antetokounmpo said. “I got his jersey tonight. I think he is the blueprint for every athlete, not just basketball athletes, on how to be consistent. To be consistent for 23 years, to be available, to be a winner, to lead by example. It is incredible for me to be around greatness and I will never take it for granted. I have the utmost respect for him and his family and the way he has carried himself for 22 years. I think he brings the best out of me as a player and he’s one of those guys that I definitely look up to.”

When it comes to longevity, there is no better example than the 41-year-old and it relates to the Bucks star due to his physical playstyle. If Antetokounmpo can find a way to preserve himself for years to come, he will soon find himself in the all-time conversation.

To produce All-Star caliber numbers despite facing adversity by missing the first 14 games due to injury is impressive, especially given his age. As he nears the end, James is making the impossible possible and opposing players are taking notice.

At the end of the day, the NBA is one big family and seemingly every star player has respect for another. As Antetokounmpo looks to win championships, look no further than James, as he has given himself plenty of opportunities due to taking extreme care of his body for 23 years and possibly more.

Bucks’ Doc Rivers amazed by LeBron James’ sustained success

Another member of the Bucks spoke highly of LeBron James, that being head coach Doc Rivers, as he has spent countless years coaching against him. Looking at what James is doing in his 23rd season, Rivers is amazed by his sustained success for over two decades.

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