The Los Angeles Lakers have never passed up the opportunity to take a swing at landing a superstar whenever they come available. Fittingly so, they appear to be on the shortlist of another former MVP who could be looking for a new NBA home sooner rather than later.
The clock on Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Milwaukee Bucks looks to be ticking away following yet another early departure from the NBA Playoffs. With the Indiana Pacers having sent Giannis and the Bucks home for the summer, it didn't take long for reports of a wish list of cities Antetokounmpo would be interested in playing in to arise.
During an appearance on Monday's edition of The Zach Lowe Show, longtime NBA reporter Howard Beck discussed what the future could hold for Giannis and how the Bucks could ultimately decide to handle what would be one of the larger trades in recent memory, regardless of where Antetokounmpo would land.
"Does Giannis ask out? If he does, does he have a list? I poked around a little bit a few days ago and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities," Beck said. "One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market. I think they threw Chicago in there. I can’t remember if Houston came up. It should. So first is like, where does Giannis want to go and do they honor that? Because again, back to Damian Lillard, you’re not obligated to honor it."
From a basketball fit alone, the Lakers would make much more sense than the Los Angeles Clippers as the LA team being referenced. Antetokounmpo could fill a role similar to the one LeBron James has held since he joined the Purple and Gold and would be a natural fit alongside a dynamic guard like Luka Doncic.
In addition to fielding a roster that can maximize its championship potential around James, as great as he was this past season the idea that he can outrun Father Time for much longer is a tough one to figure, Rob Pelinka's job is to ensure that the future of the Lakers lines up with the franchise's championship pedigree. Transitioning from the LeBron era to one led by Doncic and, potentially, Antetokounmpo would be an absolute coup for Los Angeles and would instantly catapult them to the top of the chase for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
If Giannis truly is interested in continuing his career in LA, New York or Miami, as Beck suggested, it would behoove the Lakers to put together quite the presentation to show all they could offer Antetokounmpo on and off of the court.