Adding a third superstar is never out of the equation for franchises competing for a championship/multiple championships.
While the Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly a playoff-caliber squad with LeBron James and Luka Doncic leading the way, they would better position themselves for a title run by acquiring another game-changing piece.
Luckily for Los Angeles, Buha Block’s Jovan Buha believes the organization could land a 2024-25 Eastern Conference All-Star by parting with Austin Reaves.
“I think the Lakers got to be careful with how they position themselves for the future because it's tough to find a (New York) Knicks-Giannis (Antetokounmpo) trade,” Buha Block’s Jovan Buha reported Friday.
"So if that for whatever reason just can't happen, and Milwaukee (Bucks) refuses to play ball with New York, then the Lakers could swoop in and potentially offer a competitive package. They will have three draft picks as of next summer.”
“So could you do something with Austin (Reaves) and three picks and Dalton (Knecht) and Rui (Hachimura) sign-and-trade or something...could you get in the mix for Giannis with that trade package? Maybe.”
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It remains to be seen if Antetokounmpo and the Bucks can return to the NBA finals for the first time since 2021.
Things have been relatively quiet in Milwaukee the past few seasons, causing trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo to come alive.
With Damian Lillard out of the picture moving forward (he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers after getting waived by the Bucks) it’s safe to say Antetokounmpo’s confidence in the franchise’s ability to turn things around has quickly plummeted.
If Antetokounmpo demands a trade this season, Los Angeles could be a viable destination for the NBA champion forward.
Although Reaves is an above-average No. 3 scoring option with the Lakers, he doesn’t exude the downhill scoring dominance and playoff reliability that makes Antetokounmpo such an exceptional offensive talent.
The Oklahoma product also continues to struggle to keep up on the defensive end, giving Los Angeles another reason to consider using him as a trade chip for Antetokounmpo down the line.
If one thing’s sure, Antetokounmpo will have his fair share of options on the trade market this year.
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