While the latest news signals Giannis Antetokounmpo is at odds with the Milwaukee Bucks, it only makes the possibility of a trade more likely, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been one team consistently linked as ready to make an ‘all-out pursuit‘ for him this summer.
According to Shams Charania, the Bucks want to shut down Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season, but the star intends on making a return after suffering a hyperextended knee in a recent game.
Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee was already very uncertain after the trade rumors around the deadline, but now, the chances of a team like the Lakers going after him this summer only feel more real.
Lakers Get Major Update On All-Out Giannis Trade Pursuit
Los Angeles wasn’t one of the four teams Charania mentioned that were in Antetokounmpo trade rumors at the deadline, but in the time since, they’ve been tabbed as perhaps the team leading the race for a potential blockbuster deal this offseason.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers will be making an ‘all-out pursuit‘ for Antetokounmpo this summer.
(The) Lakers, for example, who are known to be planning an all-out pursuit of the Bucks’ big man in the summer,” he wrote. “Even if they ultimately fall short of landing him, that sort of well-publicized pressure typically signals to other suitors that they’d better be prepared to come with serious offers.”
With LeBron James and other free agents potentially gone, the team is tabbed to have some of the most available cap space to spend, and while Austin Reaves is in line for a new deal, his new contract could be used in a trade for Antetokounmpo to pair him with Luka Doncic.
While Antetokounmpo is currently at odds with the Bucks, the idea of the Lakers going after him only becomes more likely.
“The Lakers, team sources told ESPN, obviously see the appeal in Antetokounmpo and believe they would be one of the teams on a very short list if the Bucks star asks for a trade out of Milwaukee,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN wrote. “A Western Conference executive told ESPN he believes Antetokounmpo is the “big prize” the Lakers hope to land, should the Milwaukee Bucks decide to trade the 2021 NBA Finals MVP in the offseason.”
Los Angeles is expected to go after several other top free agent targets, but as McMenamin mentioned, Antetokounmpo is the ‘big prize.’
The two-time Finals MVP committed back to Milwaukee at the trade deadline, but with Charania’s latest report, his tenure with his current team is only more in question.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Update, Beef With Bucks
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 26: Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks warms up before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on October 26, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.
After suffering a hyperextended knee, Antetokounmpo was officially ruled out for at least a week.
However, Charania now reports that while the Bucks want to shut him down for the rest of the season, the star player has no plans of being ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign, despite where Milwaukee sits in the standings.
“There have been multiple meetings over Antetokounmpo’s status in the last 24 hours since his hyperextended knee diagnosis, and a disagreement has ensued between the sides on whether it is best for him to return, sources said,” the insider wrote.
Here’s what’s clear: Antetokounmpo wants to play, as has been the case for this entire season, despite the number of injuries he’s already suffered. But opposingly, it feels as though Milwaukee now understands the reality of where they sit in the East, and wants to keep him out to get the best draft pick possible this season. Additionally, they want to keep him healthy, whether it be for next season or in trade talks this summer.
While the Bucks did make an effort to add talent around Antetokounmpo, that hasn’t worked out. Now, he’s at odds with a team he previously said he’d never ask to be traded from.
As the regular season comes to a close, and Antetokounmpo’s injury status is still up in the air, teams like the Lakers are likely foaming at the mouth, as they know his future with the team is in greater question than ever before.
Until he signs a new contract, Antetokounmpo trade rumors will continue for as long as he’s a member of the Bucks, and franchises like the Lakers will be waiting in the wings to make a blockbuster trade offer for the superstar forward.
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