The Giannis-to-Lakers Chatter has Started

In the annals of NBA history, it's easier to make a list of all-time greats who never played for the Los Angeles Lakers than those who did, or have.

Not just those the Lakers landed on draft night, with Magic Johnson and James Worthy and Kobe Bryant foremost among them, but also those who made it there eventually, from Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O'Neal to LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

So why wouldn't there be rumors connecting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Lakers now, especially with Giannis continuing to equivocate about his own future, tying it to championship contention?

The Lakers and Bucks have actually won the same number of titles (one) this decade, but that the Lakers always have more cachet and resources, so that makes them eternally attractive as a landing spot. Now The Athletic's Sam Amick is saying that Los Angeles will go hard after Antetokounmpo over the summer.

"An all-out pursuit," Amick wrote.

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning an “all-out pursuit” of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer, per @sam_amick

(https://t.co/Mktw1nbRmL) pic.twitter.com/qdMuLbPWxR
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 19, 2026

What could that entail, enough to pique the Bucks' interest, as Milwaukee is certain to have plenty of other suitors, with the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves not likely to give up the chase, and the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and even Oklahoma City Thunder possibly getting in the mix, with oodles of assets, should any fall short of their playoff goals?

Well, it starts with whether the Lakers plan to retain James, and whether he wants that, with all the rumors of him considering a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers aren't moving Doncic no matter what and, it would seem that he and Giannis could fit as a duo, with Doncic a far better spacer and Giannis cleaning up some of Doncic's deficiences on defense.

Giannis would need to play off the ball more than he mostly has of late in Milwaukee, but Doncic at least has some recent experience synching with a ball-dominant superstar in James.

Would Austin Reaves and three first-round picks get the Bucks' attention? The Lakers' 2027 first-rounder is set to be sent to Utah, but Los Angeles does have a full complement of others, plus second-rounders. Reaves has had a breakout season, but he is due for a huge payday, and it's not clear if he can consistently be a primary option. He's eligible for a five-year, $241 million deal fromt the Lakers -- who presumably would rather pay more on a Giannis extension.

No matter what, with the national media-darling Lakers in the conversation, the noise will only get louder now, about Giannis's summer plans.