Q: Do you envision the Lakers making a big move?

BT: Let’s start with this: The Lakers will not be acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee, and he’s the biggest name out there when it comes to the trade chatter. The Bucks don’t sound inclined to want to move Antetokounmpo and he hasn’t requested a trade. He’s dealing with a right calf injury that will sideline him past the trade deadline.

So, Laker fans, forget about that happening and that therefore means L.A. will not be making a big splash.

And don’t forget, the Lakers made a very big move last year when they got Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis, a first-round pick and other players in a three-team deal.

TN: The Lakers broke the NBA with that trade a year ago; a repeat event would be pretty outrageous, even for this franchise. After the trade that brought Doncic to L.A. completely reset the organization’s timetable, it makes more sense for this trade deadline — and the ensuing offseason — to be about recalibrating the finer points of the roster and salary sheet to set up for the true Doncic era.

Q: What is the most likely scenario for the Lakers?

BT: From talking to NBA executives and scouts who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, the most likely scenario for the Lakers is to make moves along the margins. NBA people say the Lakers are looking for big wing players, but they said so is most of the league.

According to some of those NBA folks, the names that have been attached to the Lakers as potential trade targets are Dallas’ Naji Marshall, a former Doncic teammate, Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter, Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo and Sacramento’s Keon Ellis. New Orleans’ Troy Murphy III and Herbert Jones are two players the Lakers have shown some interest in — as have many other teams — but NBA people say the asking price is so high that teams are waiting to see if that comes down by the deadline next week.

To make any of these deals, the NBA executives and scouts said, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and his expiring $18-million contract is a name that comes up often as a tradeable player. Hachimura’s recent outstanding play has increased his trade value around the league, but it also has made the forward a very valuable player for the Lakers.

Lakers seldom-used guard Dalton Knecht has been a player that NBA people say L.A. is willing to move in a trade, along with a second-round pick attached to him to make it work.

TN: Knecht was playing with a lot of confidence through a brief stretch of this season, exhibited most by him taking charges in consecutive games against the Pelicans and the Spurs. But the Lakers have already shown they are comfortable parting with the former 17th overall pick. He was sent to Charlotte last year before the Mark Williams trade fell through.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Austin Reaves to the Bucks, LeBron James to a third team, and the return rerouted to Milwaukee.

The Los Angeles Lakers have no realistic way to pair Luka Doncic with Giannis Antetokounmpo and build a European superteam. What the Lakers have proven throughout the franchise’s history, however, is that the rules of what traditionally defines a trade as realistic don’t apply to them.

With the 2025 trade for Doncic fueling that belief, the Lakers could potentially make an offer for Antetokounmpo that no team wants to see them make—if the involved parties agree to it.

In the hypothetical scenario, Austin Reaves and a 2031 first-round draft pick would be sent to Milwaukee, as well as potential pick swaps. LeBron James, meanwhile, would be traded to a third team, with the return from that endeavor being rerouted to Milwaukee.

In the event that James and Reaves sign off on this move in their respective ways, the Lakers could offer the Bucks a significant return and become sustainable contenders.

The hypothetical trade offer would require two key developments: Reaves agreeing to re-sign with the Bucks and James signing off on being traded. James, of course, has a no-trade clause, while Reaves will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

In the event that those moving pieces fall into place, the Lakers would be offering Milwaukee a package that few teams would look forward to competing with.

Giannis to Los Angeles, Reaves to Milwaukee, LeBron to third team
Reaves is a 27-year-old guard in the midst of a season during which he’s averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 2.7 three-point field goals made per game. Prior to the calf injury that’s cost him every game since Christmas, he was a legitimate candidate for a first career All-Star nod.

Considering Reaves has improved his season averages in points, assists, rebounds, and three-point field goals made every year he’s been in the NBA, there’s reason to believe he can improve even further.

That makes him a player Lakers fans would likely be unwilling to lose, but it’s also why he could appeal to the Bucks. He’s young enough to help the team build over the next two-to-three seasons, all the while still being in his prime when they’re ready to contend again.

Compounded by the arrival of a first-round selection and pick swaps, as well as sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, the Bucks would have interesting building blocks to start their retooling with.

The James element is the tricky piece of the puzzle, but he’ll likely have 29 potential suitors. If he decides to move on from Los Angeles and join another contender with whom he better fits, then the return would likely be significant given his salary, talent, and name value.

That would enable the Lakers to then turn the return for James into an even stronger offer for Antetokounmpo, with picks and quality players likely included.

It can’t be overstated how dependent this offer would be on James and Reaves committing their future to new teams. Milwaukee would be unlikely to trade for Reaves without a commitment to a new contract, and James can decline any trade Los Angeles attempts to include him in.

If the Lakers manage to get James and Reaves on board, however, a trade for Antetokounmpo would be realistic—and their offer would make rival executives tremble.

Smart move!