Lakers News: Damian Lillard Trade Drastically Hurts LA's Chance To Land Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Los Angeles Lakers have always been a star-driven franchise since their original days. It’s how the organization has operated, and it has helped them be successful over decades.

No matter what state the team is in, they are always looking to find the next big star player to represent the purple and gold. Right now, the Lakers have the biggest star in the game, LeBron James, but he won’t be around forever due to his age. So, they need to start thinking about what is new for the franchise.

Next to James, one of the biggest stars in the game is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. He is an all-worldly talent, and the Lakers would absolutely love to acquire his services.

And until just a few hours ago, it seemed that they could have a good chance to do so when he becomes a free agent in a few years.

Antetokounmpo recently made some comments about the possibility of leaving Milwaukee, and the Lakers were listed as a team to watch if he does leave.

But recent events have shifted the thinking in all likelihood, as the Milwaukee front office heard his comments and told him to hold their beer, with that beer being Miller of course, since they are in Milwaukee.

Today, the Bucks traded for All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to pair him with Antetokounmpo. This is the type of league-altering move that likely sees the Bucks star staying in Milwaukee barring any unforeseen issues.

Giannis and Lillard together with the Bucks pic.twitter.com/YTgeXEfiip
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023

Lillard is still one of the better guards in the league, and now he will finally be given a real chance to win a championship.

The duo of Lillard and Antetokounmpo could be the best in the NBA, and the Bucks look to be one of the favorites for the championship.

While it’s great to see Lillard finally out of the Western Conference, the chances of LA landing Antetokounmpo seem very low. In one move, two big trade targets for the Lakers were taken away, at least for now.

LA had been interested in Lillard for quite some time now, but he now heads to Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.

This isn’t to say that Antetokounmpo won’t ever join the purple and gold, but this drastically hurts their chances.

The Lakers will likely need to shift their focus to other stars around the league, and someone will decide to join the Lakers to keep the legacy alive.

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