Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, mainly around the construction of the roster. After an early playoff exit, the Lakers’ front office has a lot of work to do in order to build a winning team.
The Lakers have already been linked to multiple players this summer, with some of them being superstar talents. One of those names is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who could be available via trade.
"Nobody cares what city you're in anymore, this ain't the 90's."
Shaq with some advice for Giannis 👀@VinceGoodwill | @SHAQ pic.twitter.com/ugstWMN0i7
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 2, 2025
While it’s unlikely for Los Angeles to acquire Antetokounmpo due to a lack of tradable assets, if Antetokounmpo wants to play for the Lakers, the two sides will make a deal happen. But former Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is warning Antetokounmpo not to entertain the idea of Los Angeles.
“I would tell him that, probably, a bigger market doesn’t matter. Social media is the market now. Giannis has made a name for himself on social media. If you go to L.A., 50% of your contract goes to taxes, more pressure and more stress. Being that he’s in control of that ship, he should go upstairs and be like ‘I want to see all the free agents, I want phone numbers and I want to talk to them.’ He should bring people to him. When I was coming up, it was small market was too small, probably need to go to a big market. But now, every market is the same. Nobody cares what city you’re in, this ain’t the ’90s.”, O’Neal said.
While the idea of a small market and a big market has changed due to social media, some players still prefer to play in the larger ones. There is a different sense of life as well, and everything really depends on what each individual guy prefers.
It’s unlikely for Antetokounmpo to come to Los Angeles, but the Lakers would be very interested in his services. Antetokounmpo could be a good fit alongside star guard Luka Doncic and LeBron James, offering the Lakers a legitimate star trio.
But if the Bucks do trade Antetokounmpo, it would likely be to a team that could give them multiple draft picks and young prospects. Los Angeles doesn’t have much of that to offer, limiting any chance to land Antetokounmpo via a trade.