With the February trade deadline approaching, Giannis Antetokounmpo has become the biggest name on the market. The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly starting to listen to offers for the two-time MVP, and it finally seems like the wheels are starting to move in a potential trade that would send the Greek Freak to another team. Teams across the league are lining up with massive packages for the two-time MVP. But amid the expected suitors, an unexpected Western Conference contender has quietly entered the picture.

It all started when NBA Insider Howard Beck suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers are a team interested in acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye from Giannis’ standpoint, just as another team of interest,” Beck said in the recent episode of ‘Zach Lowe Show.

“But again, there’s a difficulty there in terms of trade assets. They’re another team where, once the summer comes, they got more on the draft capital side of things, and they got more clarity once they figure out where LeBron [James] is or isn’t and where Austin Reaves is because he’s a free agent.”

The Lakers are one of those franchises that aim to seize their moment even when they look like a less-likely team to do so. So when a superstar like Giannis is available, they had to get into the conversation. But the bad news is they don’t have the assets to meet the Bucks’ asking price.

The Bucks are in no rush to complete the trade and are willing to navigate it in the offseason when the Lakers would be in a slightly better situation. But they would only accept top-level young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks, as per Shams Charania.

Despite their limitations, there are a few ways the Lakers can string together a few deals that could entice the Bucks. Here are three possible ways the Lakers could pitch for Greek Freak.

3. A three-team trade with Austin Reaves, LeBron James switching teams in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Lakers lack the draft capital that the Bucks are asking for in this Giannis trade, so they may opt for a trade where they decide to ship away LeBron James to a third team.

Ideally, the Lakers would build a package around Austin Reaves and their 2031 first-rounder while LeBron could move to a third team that better suits his fit, and everything they get in return from that endeavor could be rerouted towards the Bucks, fulfilling their asking price while also matching the salary.

However, this is only a hypothetical deal, as a lot of things will have to fall into place. Reaves, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, should agree to re-sign with the Bucks, and LeBron should agree to get traded. The 41-year-old has a no-trade clause, so the Lakers would need cooperation from both players to string together such a package.

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The Bucks also need to be high on Reaves for this trade to go through. The 27-year-old guard has continued improving on his numbers every season, and this time he could have gotten his maiden All-Star nod if not for a calf strain. However, this suggests that he could be a key piece for the Bucks in their rebuild. Overall, this looks like a tough deal to string together for the Lakers.

2. A lineup with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo would be epic

A Lakers roster with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo could be historic. He would instantly improve them defensively and allow Doncic and LeBron to be themselves in the offense. There are very small margins for this happening, but the Lakers would surely give it a shot. They could build a package around their rising star, Austin Reaves, along with future first-round picks and three more players to match the salary.

These three are Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent. They could use Maxi Kleber instead of Vanderbilt or Vincent, but he’s much less of an asset, so it doesn’t make sense. The Lakers can trade their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, but the Bucks will have questions over their value if Giannis and Luka remain teammates during those years.

This is probably the only way the Lakers could come up with something before the February 5 trade deadline. The Bucks, in all probability, won’t accept such a package, and even the Lakers should wait until the offseason to make a move for the 31-year-old.

1. The Lakers could move for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason

The Lakers would be in the best position to pursue Giannis during the offseason, as they would have a couple of more first-round picks in addition to their current unprotected first-round pick from 2031.

The Bucks would surely like this more than doing a deal with the Lakers right now before the trade deadline. While the trade will once again be built around Austin Reaves, who by then would be an unrestricted free agent. So the Bucks would need clarity from the 27-year-old’s camp that he would be willing to re-sign over the summer.

Apart from the star guard, players like Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, and Dalton Knetch could all be included for salary-matching purposes. Some of them are expiring contracts, which makes it favorable for the Bucks. Also, Dalton Knetch could be a useful young piece for them in their rebuild.

Overall, Reaves makes close to $40m less than Antetokounmpo, and that’s why the Lakers will have to sacrifice most of their rotation and include the players with expiring deals along with a recent first-round pick in Knetch, who holds some value. While this may lure Giannis to Hollywood, they will only have a rotation of 10 players and will have to fill out the rest of the roster with minimum salaries.