The Bucks could be getting more league-wide trade interest for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Lakers will not be a competitive suitor. ESPN's Shams Charania recently reported on the potential trade packages that the Lakers can offer Milwaukee and it was notably lacking in any blue-chip prospects":
“Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space for three first-round picks? Like, my sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We’ll know in the next six weeks.”
The Lakers need more to acquire Giannis
Of course, the Lakers are embroiled in their own back-and-forth affair with a superstar as LeBron James prepares to potentially leave the team after 8 seasons. The Lakers lack any young prospects outside of 26-year-old Luka Doncic, who is now their franchise cornerstone. And most of Los Angeles' roster is up for free agency this summer, making their trade possibilities even slimmer.
Even the draft picks the Lakers can offer are not very appealing for Bucks fans. For example, the Lakers can offer a pick from this year's draft that sits at No. 26 overall. That pick could still have value in a loaded draft class, but isn't the top-tier trade chip that's needed to pry away Giannis.
If the Bucks do end up trading Giannis, they will want to immediately enter a rebuild with some promising young talent at the center. Ideally, the trade will return both blue-chip prospects and draft picks from a third team. After all, betting on the draft picks of a team that Giannis will be joining (especially one with another superstar like Doncic) is a risky proposition.
The Bucks will have better trade packages elsewhere
Even though Giannis' trade market has been uncertain for the past year, the Bucks will definitely be able to get something better than three picks and filler for cap space. Outside of Luka Doncic, there is genuinely nothing else in the Lakers arsenal that comes close to matching Giannis' value.
The Lakers' pipe dream of pairing up Luka and Giannis should be dead on arrival. The Bucks shouldn't even entertain this possibility, especially if other teams start getting feisty to have Giannis join them. Even the Heat, who have the most persistent ties to Giannis in trade rumors, should be more than happy to offer a far superior trade package that includes both young players and picks.
Hopefully the Giannis trade saga is all over soon. But if the Bucks accept such a poor trade offer from the Lakers, it will start a whole new nightmare.
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