Lakers Should Avoid Giannis Trade Pursuit Amid LeBron James, 2026 NBA Offseason Rumors

While a myriad of things may unfold in the coming months, the 2026 NBA offseason is likely to have two major storylines. One will involve the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the other will involve the future of LeBron James.

The Los Angeles Lakers should only concern themselves with one of them.

To be perfectly honest, neither Antetokounmpo nor James should be the biggest priority for L.A. The franchise's focus should be almost entirely on building a complementary team around new centerpiece player Luka Dončić.

That task may or may not involve bringing back James for one more season. He did a terrific job (eventually) of settling into a complementary role behind Dončić and Austin Reaves this past season. He's likely to play for at least one more.

"All the indications I've gotten over the course of the year is that he's going to play one more season," ESPN's Shams Charania told the Rich Eisen Show (h/t RealGM). "The where and the how much of it all, that's all obviously going to be a factor."

James' decision about where to play next season is likely to dominate early free agency. The Lakers should want him back for one more run. L.A. struggled to hang with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, but it didn't have Dončić and didn't have Reaves at 100 percent.

Reaves, who is certain to decline his player and hit free agency, should be an even bigger priority than James, though. His skill set complements Dončić well, and at 27, his age also lines up with Dončić's upcoming timeline.

Beyond that, Dončić "has made it clear to the Lakers that he would like to continue playing with Reaves," according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Whether James chooses to return to L.A. or not, the Lakers should steer clear of the offseason's other big circus—the Giannis Sweepstakes.

We don't know if the Milwaukee Bucks will actually make Antetokounmpo available this offseason. However, most expect him to be on the trade market and for multiple teams to be interested in acquiring him. The Lakers, reportedly, could be among them.

"The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the [trade] deadline," Charania told Eisen (12:00 mark). "Right now, what they'll be able to offer is three first-round picks, cap space and essentially absorb Giannis' contract."

There are several potential problems with a Giannis pursuit. The most obvious is that without including a player like Reaves, Los Angeles will have a hard time matching what some other teams will be capable of offering.

According to Woike and Amick, a sign-and-trade involving Reaves wouldn't sit well with Dončić.

Another issue is that, as one NBA executive recently noted, Antetokounmpo wouldn't perfectly fit Dončić's timeline.

"You get the sense they're tired of constantly cycling the roster and they're looking for the right role players to emphasize those guys," the unnamed exec said, per Heavy's Sean Deveney. "That's not Giannis, who is in his early 30s (he turns 32 in December) and just is not on that timeline."

Even if the Lakers could obtain Antetokounmpo without trading Reaves, dealing three first-round picks and then extending him—he has a player option in 2027—for what might only be a year or two of prime play would be risky.

And if the Lakers decide to go all-in on a push for Giannis, they could be stuck waiting while Milwaukee weighs multiple offers. That could potentially cost them other players who would better fit Los Angeles' preferred timeline anyway.

If James departs or re-signs on a relatively team-friendly deal, the Lakers should have the cap space needed to put some substantial pieces around Dončić and Reaves. Getting an upper-tier center, defensive help, and more range shooting should be near the top of the wish list. Giannis shouldn't be on that list, unless he becomes free to sign a year from now.

"One realistic path for Los Angeles seems to be waiting until the 2027 offseason. But that would require Antetokounmpo to play hardball with Milwaukee and interested teams," ESPN's Bobby Marks explained. "...The Lakers would then have the available cap space to sign him outright next summer."

The financial risk with adding Antetokounmpo would still exist if he's signed as a free agent. However, L.A. would get to keep its trade capital, and it's hard to believe that James won't be fully out of the equation by then.

For now, the Lakers should focus on bringing back Reaves, improving the roster's supporting cast, and re-signing James if the price and situation both feel right. They can then revisit Antetokounmpo if he is unexpectedly available next summer.