The Los Angeles Lakers already have two of the game’s most prolific superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But what if they somehow and someway managed to add arguably the best player in the world?
Last week, Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo hinted at potentially leaving the Bucks during an interview with Tania Ganguli of the New York Times. The two-time league MVP made it clear that he won’t sign an extension with the Bucks unless they show that they’re committed to building a championship contender around him.
In his latest newsletter (h/t of Austin Boyd of Heavy.com), NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Lakers, along with the New York Knicks, appear to be be among the clubs Giannis is interested in joining:
“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.
You can be certain, if nothing else, that The Giannis Watch is back on and, like it or not, will thrust his future back to the forefront of the NBA discourse after just three seasons of relative quiet that must have elapsed awfully quickly for Bucks fans.”
Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Antetokounmpo signed a five-year extension with Milwaukee worth $228 million. He can become a free agent in 2025 if he declines his 2025-26 million player option, and that already feels like a foregone conclusion.
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It remains to be seen how much longer James will play. But even if he’s retired by 2025, a tandem of Davis and Antetokounmpo would keep the Lakers in annual championship contention.
For now, the Bucks have at least two years left of Giannis. The rumors of him leaving will certainly quiet down, however, if the Bucks manage to claim another championship (or two) over the next two years.
