NBA executive believes only way to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo to LA is to trade him for Anthony Davis

In a recent interview with Sean Deveney from Heavy Sports, an NBA executive who preferred to remain anonymous said that only by trading Anthony Davis will the Lakers acquire superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the franchise administrator assured that there is also a health factor to consider, as the Los Angeles center has constantly fallen to injuries over the past years.

“It’s just the health,” the NBA executive explained. “If the Lakers wanted Giannis, they’d have to convince Milwaukee AD is healthy, then make the trade. It is just too much money to try to sign him in free agency if LeBron is still there.”

The Milwaukee foward is to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he decides to decline his player option for that campaign.

Richard Sherman recently went on the “Undisputed” show with Skip Bayless and also talked about the possibility of trading AD for The Greek Freak:

Richard Sherman thinks the Lakers and Bucks should discuss an Anthony Davis/Giannis Antetokounmpo swap pic.twitter.com/sNjmLBFFmc

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2023

Not too long ago, the Bucks star assured that he won’t sign an extension with his club this year, and will make a decision after the upcoming campaign.“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”

The Greek international then added: “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

The Milwaukee franchise inked Antetokounmpo to a five-year, $228.2 million maximum contract extension three years ago, as the 28-year-old is set to make $45.6 million next season.

“This is my team, and it’s going to forever be my team,” Antetokounmpo told the press last month. “I don’t forget people that were there for me and allowed me to be great and to showcase who I am to the world and gave me the platform. But we have to win another one. But at the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal. Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.”

NBA analyst Richard Jefferson guarantees that Giannis will leave the Bucks in 2025 if they fail to win another title in the next couple of years

ESPN’s Richard Jefferson recently shared his take on why Antetokounmpo will end up leaving Milwaukee in 2025 if they don’t conquer another championship in the next two seasons.

“[Bucks can retain Giannis] if they win a championship in the next two years, if they don’t, I think he’s [Giannis] gone,” the former player said on his YouTube show. “I don’t think the Bucks are back at the drawing board.

“I think they changed their coach; I think they got two years…If they win a championship, I think he will stay. If they do not, I think he will have an opportunity to move on.”

The Greek star has averages of 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists throughout his career, first winning the Most Improved Player of the Year Award, then two regular-season MVPs, one Finals MVP and one Defensive Player of the Year Award, all with the Bucks.

As for Davis, he is also one of the best athletes in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star has been at the top of the MVP ladder before, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a long period of time ever since he contributed to the Lakers last championship season in 2020.