The Los Angeles Lakers have an important offseason ahead of them, and they could be potential suitors for Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo if he’s traded.
The Athletic recently conducted an anonymous player poll and received 151 votes on where Antetokounmpo will start the 2026-27 season. Out of the 151 player votes, five respondents chose the Lakers.
The Lakers finished fourth in the poll, as the Bucks, Miami Heat and New York Knicks each received more votes when it came to the Antetokounmpo question. Regardless, it’s interesting that a handful of players around the league see the Lakers as the 31-year-old’s next destination.
For Los Angeles to land Antetokounmpo, it would likely have to part ways with many – if not all – of the assets it has left to pair him with star guard Luka Doncic. The Lakers may be looking to upgrade their roster after losing in the second round of the playoffs, but it’s worth noting that Doncic did not play in any of L.A.’s postseason games in 2026.
While Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA when he is healthy, the Bucks star played in just 36 games during the 2025-26 season due to various injuries. He still put up some impressive numbers, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 62.4 percent from the field.
But if the Lakers are going to sacrifice a package that would bring Antetokounmpo to Los Angeles, they’ll certainly need him on the floor for more than just 36 games.
The Lakers finished with the No. 4 seed in the West in the 2025-26 season, and they’ll have a lot of competition for a high seed next season, especially with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs (both in the Western Conference Finals this season) sporting impressive young cores.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam recently said that he would like to have clarity on Antetokounmpo’s future ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft. This summer, the draft will begin on June 23.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers make a push for Antetokounmpo or if they focus their priorities elsewhere in the offseason.
