Getty

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks

When it comes to the upcoming offseason in the NBA, there is no question that the Los Angeles Lakers will be at the fore of potential changes. As things stand, the Lakers are one of the few teams with significant cap space on hand–the Nets and Bulls, two rebuilding clubs, are the others–and therefore have the ability to sign new players as well as the flexibility to make things happen on the trade market. And, of course, no name will feature so prominently on the trade market than that of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

We know that the Lakers at least checked in on the market for Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline.  That doesn’t mean much, though–pretty much every team did. But what we don’t know is whether the Lakers were doing their perfunctory due diligence on Antetokounmpo in making a call, or whether they were seriously inquiring about a future trade.

The consensus around the NBA: due diligence.

Lakers Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Would Not Fit Luka Doncic Timeline

As one Western Conference executive said of the Lakers, the plan is to build around Luka Doncic as the start with Austin Reaves (also a potential free agent this summer) as the franchise focal points. They could bring back Giannis Antetokounmpo, but other than an exception for him, the Lakers want to get younger and better suited to a Doncic-Reaves core.

The exec said: “Luka Doncic is 27, he just turned 27. Austin Reaves is 27. That’s what they’re looking for, guy in their early prime who can grow alongside those two. You get the sense they’re tired of constantly cycling the roster and they’re looking for the right role players to emphasize those guys. That’s not Giannis, who is in his early 30s (he turns 32 in December) and just is not on that timeline.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo Averse to Playing for Lakers?

Also a big issue, as has been mentioned plenty in discussing the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Lakers possibility: There is a strong chance that Antetokounmpo does not want to play for the Lakers. That likely applies to anywhere on the West Coast, but there does seem to be a reluctance on Antetokounmpo’s part to play that much farther away from his home in Greece.

That might not be a deal-breaker if Antetokounmpo can be sold on his new destination, but he does have some leverage in the situation–he will need to agree to an extension while a trade is going down. If he signals he won’t sign an extension with a team, that team is almost certain to pull out on a trade.

NBA Trades Rampant This Summer

Whatever happens with the Lakers, and with Antetokounmpo, they will be part of what is certain to be a critical summer in the NBA, no matter the direction each takes.

Said the exec: “Definitely a big summer. There is going to be a lot of movement this summer, there are going to be a lot of trades, before the draft, after the draft in July, going into August and September. There are a lot of teams that see themselves in need of a change, so you will see some bad contracts getting moved around with the hope that, new location new results. And you will see some financial moves, if you can set yourself up to get under the tax, which we saw at the deadline too.

“There will be some blockbusters but maybe not as many as some people hope. But, look, if we have two, three blockbusters in one summer, where a few teams are involved in each—that is a big deal.”