Realistic LeBron James and Giannis Trades That Can Still Happen
No NBA offseason would be truly complete without a post-draft blockbuster trade. We have yet to get one this summer, and rather than wait for it, we will instead manifest one (or more!) into existence by spitting out a fresh batch of potential LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade packages.
Why focus on just these two, you ask? It has everything to do with the current star-trade landscape.
The list of marquee names with an immediate path to the trade block is pretty sparse. But the situations for both the Milwaukee Bucks (did they do enough to remain contenders?) and the Los Angeles Lakers (have they become too future-focused?) are tenuous enough to envision Antetokounmpo and James forcing their hands.
None of the packages that follow are predictions or necessarily endorsements from yours truly. Each scenario caters to a team that I could see making a run at LeBron or Giannis, or an intriguing off-the-beaten path theoretical that I've decided is worth discussion.
LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks
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Dallas Mavericks Receive: LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyle Anderson, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, 2029 first-round pick (their own, via Dallas)
Utah Jazz Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Philadelphia's 2030 second-round pick (via Dallas), Dallas' 2032 second-round pick
Lakers insider Jovan Buha said during a recent episode of Buha’s Block (at the 9:40 mark) that there has previously been legs to the Dallas Mavericks’ interest in reuniting LeBron James with Kyrie Irving. This feeling could increase now that they also have Anthony Davis, another former LeBron teammate whom the King sounded like he missed after Los Angeles got bounced from the playoffs.
In this framework, the Lakers would be getting a smattering of playable talents to deepen their rotation, all of whom have experience operating alongside Luka Dončić. This return would eat into their 2027 cap-space plans, but Gafford is the only one with money on the books for that season and should be easily dumpable on his current contract.
Regaining control over their own 2029 first-rounder would be a huge deal for the Lakers, as that would up the ante on trade packages they can propose in the coming years. They'd also be getting off the balance of Jarred Vanderbilt’s pact in exchange for the expiring deal of Kyle Anderson, making the acquisitions of future money from Gafford and Thompson less onerous. They could either keep Washington around or attempt to flip him for additional value.
Two distant second-round picks may not be enough for the Jazz to swallow the remaining three years and $37.3 million on Vanderbilt's contract, but the Lakers could grease the wheels further with their 2032 second-rounder. Utah’s timeline is clearly gradual enough that this should be a consideration.
Dallas is giving up a lot here, but having Cooper Flagg learn from the still-All-NBA-level-stylings of LeBron would be pretty ideal. This team would have the makings of a powerhouse for at least the next two years once Kyrie returns from his ACL injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Atlanta Hawks
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Atlanta Hawks Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Kobe Bufkin, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, 2026 first-round swap (most favorable of Milwaukee's own and New Orleans), 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Milwaukee and New Orleans), 2028 first-round swap (most favorable from Atlanta's own and least favorable of Cleveland and Utah), 2030 second-round pick
Acquiring the rights to the Bucks’ 2026 first-rounder leaves the Hawks as the ultimate dark-horse Giannis suitor. That pick means more to Milwaukee than any other team. It would clear the way for a tank job that might culminate in a high lottery pick and a bridge into the post-Antetokounmpo era.
That 2027 selection has decent value, too. The Bucks won’t control their own selection outright, but the New Orleans Pelicans have shown this offseason that they are an unserious organization with zero intention of being meaningfully good anytime soon.
Milwaukee would probably prefer more outright first-rounders in a vacuum, but Risacher qualifies as a high-end lottery prospect on his own. He has three years left on his rookie-scale deal, and while 2024 No. 1 overall pick doesn’t profile as a future star, his shooting, off-ball movement and defense give him a high floor.
Johnson can come in and check the prospective-star box right away. He will need to stay healthy, but he’s flashed everything from transition flair, dynamic playmaking, some shooting and multi-level scoring and even defensive switchability. Meanwhile, the flier on Bufkin would at least be somewhat intriguing for a Bucks team that's continuously thin on offensive creators.
Atlanta has the makings of a behemoth with Giannis playing alongside Trae Young, Kristaps Porziņģis, Dyson Daniels, Asa Newell and Onyeka Okongwu. You’d be hard-pressed to find a team outside Oklahoma City, Orlando or Houston that can do a better job of insulating Young on defense, and Porziņģis is the ideal big man to plop next to Giannis.
The Hawks’ shooting would get shakier with this trade. They can try to lavish the Bucks with more first-round equity and Newell in an attempt to keep Risacher. But this is Giannis we’re talking about. You offer this package, see what Milwaukee says and then address your most glaring weaknesses after the fact.
LeBron James to the New York Knicks
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New York Knicks Receive: LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Straight-up swapping Towns for LeBron would make the Knicks a lot older. So be it. New York still needs another ball-handler to consistently lighten its dependence on Jalen Brunson. Jordan Clarkson moves the needle only so much.
Give team president Leon Rose truth serum, and he might even tell you he appreciates the flexibility that the expiring contract of a soon-to-be 41-year-old LeBron would give the Knicks over the three seasons and $171.2 million owed to Towns.
New York would have to recalibrate its big-man rotation without KAT, but it'd still have a veteran-minimum slot to dangle after this move. The situation is also hardly dire following the addition of Guerschon Yabusele and if Mitchell Robinson can stay healthy.
The Lakers would wave bye-bye to their 2027 cap-space plan with Towns in the fold, but there's no guarantee that they'll sign or trade for anyone who's actively better than him. Plus, he will be an expiring contract that summer. Moving him for value or as part of a larger deal would absolutely be on the table.
In the meantime, while Towns is a little ground-bound for a Luka Dončić partner, Los Angeles could get the best of floor-spacing and rim-running worlds with him and Deandre Ayton. The two could play separately, and thanks to KAT's three-point range, they could also log tandem reps that would render the Lakers absolutely gigantic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to the San Antonio Spurs
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San Antonio Spurs Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Harrison Barnes, Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, 2027 first-round pick (via ATL), 2029 first-round pick, Sacramento's 2030 second-round pick, 2031 first-round pick (most favorable of SAS or SAC), Sacramento's 2031 second-round pick
San Antonio is reportedly among the teams that showed restraint in Kevin Durant trade negotiation because it's waiting on Giannis. Well...here you go!
Harper is the glitz and the glam of this package. The No. 2 overall pick has yet to take the floor, so he maintains that could-become-anything air. Milwaukee needs a cornerstone for the present and future without having control over its own first-rounders until 2031. Harper has the offensive profile of someone who can be exactly that.
Taking a flier on the extension-eligible Jeremy Sochan would be worthwhile with Giannis going out the door. The Bucks should be able to field some gritty defensive units with him, Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner. Barnes and Johnson are first and foremost salary-matching inclusions, but they'd also add necessary value to a team that has zero incentive to be terrible since it doesn't control its next few first-round picks.
Draft-pick compensation gets murky. The 2027 Hawks pick is slightly less appealing on the heels of their successful offseason. But the Bucks would be getting two more on top of it, both of which would convey as Giannis is playing out his mid-30s. At the very least, that's a great springboard for talks with this year's No. 2 selection on the table.
Milwaukee and San Antonio can quibble over finer details. Should Stephon Castle be included over Harper? Would the Spurs consider trading both if it saves them first-round equity? Should the Bucks push for Devin Vassell over Barnes or Johnson?
Giannis-to-San Antonio permutations exist in droves. Getting him there is all that matters. A baseline trio of Giannis, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox with some combination of Harper, Castle and Vassell still on board is equal parts terrifying and championship-caliber.
LeBron James to the Denver Nuggets
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Denver Nuggets Receive: LeBron James, Bronny James
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: DaRon Holmes II, Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson, 2028 first-round pick swap
Cue the "LeBron would never waive his no-trade clause to play in Denver!" truthers. And look, maybe they're right.
Counterpoint: LeBron is a basketball sicko. He has to see the value in joining forces with Nikola Jokić. Bronny is also coming with LeBron. So, problem solved!
The resulting Nuggets team would be thinner by subbing out two rotation players (Murray and Watson) for one, but it's miles from untenable following the additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason. Sending out Holmes would only sting if Jonas Valančiūnas really is a flight risk.
This is another situation in which a team is swapping out youth for LeBron entering his age-41 season. It is also another scenario in which said team might prefer this direction. Murray is set to begin his four-year, $207.8 million extension this coming season, and Watson is extension-eligible now. The Nuggets may welcome the extra long-term optionality that LeBron's expiring deal would bring, especially with Christian Braun in line for a new deal.
Whether Murray is good enough for the Lakers to punt on their 2027 cap-space plans is debatable. His injury track record is unnerving. Ditto for his commitment to conditioning. But he has shown he can be effective while playing off a superstar, and Los Angeles' offense would be armed to the teeth with him, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves making on-ball decisions.
Watson is a young wing who has shown enough on defense to pique the Lakers' curiosity. He'd become a monstrous add if he pieces together any semblance of offensive consistency. Holmes missed his would-be rookie campaign with an Achilles injury, but he has floor-spacing and rim-protection chops and could partner up with Luka in the two-man game if healthy.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
