Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Milwaukee Bucks have signaled they are open to trade discussions on Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the NBA draft.
- The Lakers face a major hurdle in a Giannis trade due to a Luka Dončić's preference to keep playing with Austin Reaves.
- The Warriors are ready to pursue aggressively but would need to overcome significant salary-matching challenges.
On Monday, May 11, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Milwaukee Bucks are "open for business on trade calls and offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo entering the NBA draft combine and over six weeks away from the draft." This came as no surprise given the overall tenor of the situation in Milwaukee, with each side seemingly teetering at various moments over the last several months.
However, the Bucks being "opening for business" this far ahead of the draft points to maybe the highest possibility of a Giannis trade at any point in the multi-year saga. Charania also reports that "there is expected to be a robust market for Antetokounmpo's services," and that leads to logical speculation about which teams might be eager to jump in to the Giannis derby with both feet.
What about the Lakers as a Giannis suitor?
In a recent piece from Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, it was reported that the Lakers are "expected to explore Antetokounmpo trade scenarios this summer." Given the history of Los Angeles and star pursuits in the past, Los Angeles will always be on the radar, but Woike and Amick also put forth a potential hurdle in the Lakers' pursuit.
The Athletic reports that Luka Doncic has "made it clear" that he "would like to continue playing" with Austin Reaves. That includes a report, citing multiple league sources, that Doncic "told people within the organization that he wouldn't want Reaves included in any potentail trade packages" for Antetokounmpo.
Importantly, that does not take the Lakers off the board entirely, but it does take away arguably LA's most intriguing trade piece to offer to Milwaukee. Obviously, the Lakers could simply pursue a way to use Reaves as a trade offering anyway, but it does seem less likely with this reporting out in the world.
The Warriors are always there
One oft-cited suitor for Antetokounmpo is the Golden State Warriors, and all indications point to the Warriors being ready to jump back into the fray again. Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area got people fired up by sharing that the Warriors are eager to call on Giannis.
"And naturally, the Warriors, nose pressed to the window, are hyperventilating over the possibility of acquiring their Holy Grail."
In this case, the "Holy Grail" is Antetokounmpo, even if the Warriors likely know it would take a very specific circumstance for Golden State to have a competitive offer. The Warriors can offer up to four first round draft picks, which is enough to get into the conversation. However, Golden State would likely have to match salary with Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green, causing an interesting situation, and the Warriors also do not really have a prized young player to put in any offer that the Bucks may want.
All told, it seems safe to say that the Lakers and Warriors will at least be calling the Bucks over the next seven weeks. At the same time, there are other teams that are perhaps better suited to make "godfather" offers, and Giannis could also put his thumb on the scale to some degree.
Grab your popcorn.
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