Lakers News: LA Reportedly Interested In Adding Giannis Antetokounmpo
Time moves by very fast in the NBA world and it's crazy to think that we are already two seasons removed from when Giannis Antetokounmpo helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship since 1971. Antetokounmpo has revolutionized what it means to be a big man in the NBA due to his unique skillset, athletic abilities and dominance on both ends of the floor.
When first entering the league, he was viewed as a project by the Bucks and other guys like Thon Maker and Jabari Parker were prioritized as star players initially off the jump. However, it was Giannis who completed his full developmental program and blossomed into a two-time MVP and a seven-time All-Star with Milwaukee.
The Bucks obviously came up very short last season as Giannis got hurt in the first round and they fell to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. The 28-year-old has been quite vocal ever since the season ended about his future in the league and specifically honed in on a potential extension with the franchise.
Antetokounmpo revealed that he wants to see his teammates make the necessary sacrifices to win more titles and also does not want to be a part of a rebuild and those will be the key factors in whether he sticks around long-term or not.
As part of his current $228 million deal with the Bucks, he has a player option for the 2025-2026 season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
Therefore, your Los Angeles Lakers have already been named as a team that is keeping their eye on this situation and has interest in the big man if he decides to hit free agency according to insider Marc Stein.
“The Lakers and the Knicks are already being mentioned as franchises presumed to interest Antetokounmpo down the road if he does decide to move on from Milwaukee, which just made a slew of moves (re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez and replacing Mike Budenholzer as coach with Adrian Griffin) to try to appease its face of the franchise."
(Via Marc Stein's Substack)
LeBron James only has two seasons on his contract left and he could decide to call it early after this season thanks to his own player option.
Giannis probably wants to remain in Milwaukee and this message is merely to let them know that winning should remain the top priority but cap space and a clear role could be open in LA for him should he choose to leave!
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