Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made headlines on Tuesday by removing most of his Bucks content from his social media accounts.
While the move was troubling for Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been closely monitoring Antetokounmpo's situation, were likely encouraged.
The Luka Doncic-led franchise would undoubtedly benefit from adding a game-changing forward like Antetokounmpo to its roster. That said, it was always going to be challenging for Los Angeles to execute a blockbuster trade for the 30-year-old champion forward without him requesting a trade from the Bucks.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, though, that has recently changed.
“Guys, he (Antetokounmpo) asked to be traded already,” Windhorst reported while speaking to ESPN Cleveland.
If Windhorst’s report holds merit, the Lakers’ chances of trading for Antetokounmpo just skyrocketed.
The former lottery pick hasn’t been in a highly competitive environment for nearly five years, but the same can’t be said about the Lakers.
Although Los Angeles’ last championship came in the bubble, the organization has since reached the Western Conference Finals and positioned itself for more lengthy playoff runs by trading for Doncic in February.
The Lakers currently boast a 15-5 record and appear to be a legitimate Western Conference threat during the early stages of the 2025-26 season.
While crafting a trade proposal for Antetokounmpo wouldn’t be a simple task, hearing that the future Hall of Famer is unhappy with his current situation is a massive win for the 17-time NBA champions.
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