Latest Rumors on Giannis' Future as Zach LaVine Trade Reportedly Eyed By Bucks

As the Milwaukee Bucks continue their quest to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are actively trying to make upgrades to the roster around the two-time NBA MVP.

Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Bucks are in "desperate pursuit" of a difference-making type of player with Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine cited as a player on their radar.

It doesn't appear as if Antetokounmpo is going to provide any clarity, at least publicly, about where he stands with the organization. He told reporters on Thursday that any conversations his agent was having with Bucks management were being done separate from him:

"If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he is his own person. He can have any conversation he wants about it. At the end of the day, I don't work for my agent, my agent works for me. There's going to be conversations that are going to be made between him and the Bucks and him and his other players and him and other teams and other GMs, executives around the league. It's something that you can't control. But at the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks."

This statement comes in the wake of a Dec. 3 report from ESPN's Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo and his agent were meeting with the Bucks to discuss if his best fit remains staying in Milwaukee or with another club.

There has been no indication at this point that the Bucks have started entertaining trade offers for Antetokounmpo. Their ability to make any significant additions is complicated due to their lack of draft assets, as they don't control their first-round pick until 2031.

LaVine has frequently popped up as a target for Milwaukee. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported on Dec. 12 that the club has done "recent due diligence" on the two-time All-Star.

One reason that LaVine could be a fit for the asset-light Bucks, as Amick noted, is his $47.5 million salary this season and $48.9 million player option for next season makes him difficult for the Sacramento Kings to trade "without attaching some sort of sweetener (draft assets) in return."

If the Bucks are able to construct a deal with the Kings that would allow them to take on LaVine's money without having to give up anything of significant value. Kyle Kuzma has already been cited as a potential target for Sacramento in a trade, so there could be an avenue to make a deal.

Whether or not LaVine is capable of elevating the Bucks to being a title contender in the East is worth debating, but they badly need production at shooting guard if they want to even be a playoff-caliber team.

There is also an argument that LaVine as the No. 2 option on a team with a superstar like Antetokounmpo leading the way is an ideal role for him.

LaVine remains an efficient offensive player for a Kings team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. He is averaging 20.2 points on 48.7 percent shooting (38.5 percent from three) in 23 starts this season.

After starting the season 8-5, the Bucks have cratered over the past month. They are 3-12 in their last 15 games, including four losses in five games since Antetokounmpo suffered a strained calf on Dec. 3.