The Los Angeles Lakers could be preparing for life without LeBron James. The aging superstar is an unrestricted free agent this summeraand may opt to close out his career away from the Lakers.
As such, Rob Pelinka may be on the lookout for another superstar to pair with Luka Doncic. That’s where Giannis Antetokounmpo could factor into the equation. Giannis is expected to be on the trade market this summer, following years of “will he, won’t he” speculation.
A recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus has laid out a potential pathway the Lakers could take in trying to acquire the former two-time MVP.
The proposed trade looks like this:
Lakers Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo, $12.4 million trade exception, $4.2 million trade exception
Buckst Get: Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr., 2031 first-rounder, 2032 protected first-round swap
“A Lakers’ offer relies heavily on Milwaukee’s willingness to give Reaves a near-max contract via sign-and-trade,” Pincus explained. “Reaves is one of the NBA’s top free agents this summer, a talented ball-handling scorer. If the Bucks covet Reaves and if Antetokounmpo wants to play with Luka Dončić in Los Angeles, this is a feasible solution.”
Pincus continued.
“If the Bucks don’t want to invest as heavily, a package can be assembled around Rui Hachimura via sign-and-trade, with the Lakers providing additional first-round draft compensation. L.A. has No. 25, two future firsts, and can add in a few first-round swaps as well.”
Reaves Could Take Discount To Stay With Lakers
According to Pincus, in a separate article, Austin Reaves could reach a long-term contract compromise to remain with the Lakers. That is, of course, should he not be traded in a deal for Giannis, or another superstar.
“Reaves’ contract can start at a $41.3 million max deal. Other teams can only offer up to four years with five percent raises for a total of $177.4 million,” Pincus detailed. “The Lakers can pay for five years with eight percent raises, but $239.3 million is higher than the franchise would like.”
Pincus continued.
“The compromise number would come in just below what he might earn elsewhere. If Reaves receives a massive offer sheet, he will have to consider it, which could pressure the Lakers to increase their bid.”
Reaves has been with the Lakers since signing as an undrafted rookie. If the front office is willing to pay him close to what he’s worth on the open market, odds are that he would choose to remain with the franchise.
Lakers Have To Make A Decision On LeBron
Right now, nobody knows whether LeBron is going to play for another season. If he does, it’s looking increasingly likely that it won’t be as part of the Lakers. However, Pincus and the front office can change that if they want to.
LeBron’s family resides in Los Angeles. His son, Bronny James, is under contract with the franchise. It stands to reason that LeBron would likely be happy to see out the remainder of his career with the Lakers.
Of course, if Los Angeles believes its time to move on, LeBron will have no shortage of options available to him. However, that would mean the Lakers have one additional hole to fill in the rotation before the next season.
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