What many expected to be one of the stories of the offseason didn’t amount to much.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee seems destined for an end sooner rather than later with many expecting that to be this offseason. Damian Lillard’s injury in the playoffs paired with a bleak roster was enough of a combination for me to expect to see Giannis ask out.
Instead, the Bucks went crazy, waiving and stretching Dame to sign Myles Turner. Apparently, that was enough to keep Giannis in the Midwest for
a little bit longer, but only just barely.
On Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN published an article detailing Giannis’ summer with a very interesting nugget about trade discussions between the Bucks and Knicks.
The Bucks picked up the Knicks’ call on Antetokounmpo, and the sides engaged in conversations for a window of time in August, league sources said, but the teams never got traction on a deal.
The Bucks insisted to the Knicks that they preferred not to move Antetokounmpo, but those in Milwaukee believe New York did not make a strong enough offer to continue even discussing a trade, league sources said.
Well, that’s certainly interesting!
Shams made it clear in the piece that two things were true:
- The Bucks were not seriously shopping Giannis
- The Knicks did not put forth an “all-out chase” for Giannis
Still, this isn’t something you put back in the box once it’s opened. Shams gave some more insight on NBA Today on Tuesday afternoon as well.
Now, where do the Lakers fit into this? Well, if you watched President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka’s media day press conference and you took a drink every time he mentioned “optionality,” you wouldn’t be around to read this but you’d also know it’s a core tenet of the franchise’s approach to roster building right now.
It’s not going to be long until the Lakers are mentioned when it comes to a Giannis trade. When that day comes, they’ve positioned themselves to at least be in the conversation. They have a host of tradeable draft picks and, depending on when a deal might take place, either expiring draft picks to offer in a trade or cap space to take players into, offering Milwaukee financial relief.
Plus, they’re the Lakers. They’re always going to be mentioned when a superstar is available. They’ve been eyeing Giannis for a while. The question will be how long they monitor Giannis and if they impacts future moves. At the start of the offseason, the reports were about the Lakers keeping roster space open for 2027 when Giannis, among others, would be a free agent.The more recent reports have been about the team being more aggressive.
The good news for them is those two timelines might soon converge very soon!
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
