Right before the NBA trade deadline, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo told the team he was ready to be traded.
Several teams were linked to a potential trade for Antetokounmpo, but he ended up staying past the deadline, with a report stating the Bucks were “never serious” regarding any talks for the star.
Once the summer begins, it seems likely that Antetokounmpo trade talks will pick up, and the Los Angeles Lakers are said to be making an “all-out pursuit” to acquire the superstar, via Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“Take the Los Angeles Lakers, for example, who are known to be planning an all-out pursuit of the Bucks’ big man in the summer,” Amick wrote.
LeBron James’ future with the Lakers is up in the air, and a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for one final NBA season is something that has been rumored.
At the deadline, the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat were two of the teams linked to a potential trade for Antetokounmpo.
For the Lakers, there is a path to a trade in the summer with more assets available and James’ contract possibly off the books; it is just a matter of which offer the Bucks like the most.
A potential trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Antetokounmpo would be a fun one to watch, although the Bucks could want Reaves as part of a trade package.
Nonetheless, the Lakers could enter the offseason as a top landing spot for Antetokounmpo if the Bucks decide to move him.
