Official Giannis Watch Thread

[Megaton]

[Lakeshow323]

This is much more than a pipe dream. There is starting to be some smoke coming out. The narrative was always that hes different and wants to be his own man/team. Well he just dispelled that today, even going as far as 3rd option. LOL, how many others teams have a top duo?

Add that with the clownshow the Bucks FO has been the last couple of years, and he still hasnt signed his supermax, this is going to gain some momentum. If he doesnt sign his supermax and AD goes 1 + 1..... welll....

[Megaton]

[RhodyRay]

[ocho]

Minority opinion here I’m sure, but I’m not certain this would be the best thing to be hanging over our heads all year.
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14-5-3-12

[Raijin]

I don't think he fits with our guys. Pass
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"It was tough," Kobe Bryant said. "But when it got really tough for me, I just checked myself in."

[drae]

He also mentioned Kevin Durant.

So answer me this question. If the Bucks are going to lose Giannis and they need to get something back, why wouldn't the Nets offer Kyrie for Giannis, both teams get a superstar.

And why would Giannis say no to extending his career in Brooklyn playing beside the best scorer in the NBA today?

[drae]

[dcarter4kobe]

Let's' run some numbers. With KCP, Gasol, and Deng still on the books, LeBron/AD would have to take a major pay cut for Giannis to come. If we only keep AD/KCP/Gasol and the rights to Morris/THT, that would ONLY leave 13M for LeBron. A 28M pay cut. A wink wink agreement could be made where the Lakers promise to make that up on the back end when LeBron retires. Basically agree to pay LeBron an extra year even after he retires. Similar to what the Spurs did with Duncan and probably what we did with Marc Gasol.

If LeBron is open to that, I'd go all the way and see if he would be open to taking the room exception allowing the Lakers to be in a position to keep Kuzma, KCP, Caruso,THT, Morris.

AD 35.3
Giannis 33.6
KCP 13
Kuz 10.6
Caruso 5.2
Gasol 2.7
Morris 1.7
THT 1.8
4 cap holds 3.7
Deng 5
Total 112.6

Basically, with the cap shrining, Deng remaining on the books, signing KCP/Gasol on multi year deals, the only way for Giannis to sign via cap space is LeBron and/or AD taking a major pay cut for a year
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"He's a Zen master, so he can speak to you, and he doesn't need a microphone; you can hear him in your head, 'Ron, don't shoot, don't shoot.' Whatever, pow, three. I love the Zen, though."

[troy]

[Jordan-esque]

I hope this thread will take a nap when the season starts, so we can enjoy the current team and not have to always keep day dreaming about this dude.
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[LakerSD]

[manlisten]

This thread had a good run.
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It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points."

[AFireInside619]

We’ll always have Kostas. Until we inevitably cut him.
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“You have to dance beautifully in the box that you are comfortable dancing in.” - Kobe Bryant

[dcarter4kobe]

Yup. Only way it's possible now is through a sign and trade. But why would the Bucks want KCP/Kuz?
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"He's a Zen master, so he can speak to you, and he doesn't need a microphone; you can hear him in your head, 'Ron, don't shoot, don't shoot.' Whatever, pow, three. I love the Zen, though."

[BlueNGold]

[lakersfever714]

LG always makes strange threads about free agents. Melo, Westbrick, DeRozen. I've seen it all. This has just been another one of those that inevitably fades into nothingness.

For what it's worth, Giannis was actually trying to recruit Lebron and AD to the Bucks.

https://heavy.com/sports/los-angeles-lakers/giannis-antetokounmpo-recruits-lebron-james/
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Los Angeles Lakers 2025 NBA Champions!! Go JJ!

[yinoma2001]

Giannis's Laker watch has ended.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[RI Laker]

Lock it up. By Giannis. We hardly knew you.

[Inspector Gadget]

[LastStand 2.0]

I’m gonna get killed for this. Not a huge fan of giannis. Don’t think he’s the skilled player Davis is. Idc about his MVPs and fake DPOY

don’t think that guy is a real #1 option. He’s gonna get better but just not that exciting to me

Luka? Holy crap that guys crazy good
Devin booker? That guy can flat out score.


To me giannis is like Russell Westbrook. Puts up nice stats, plays hard, does good things

Ain’t winning you a title

[Inspector Gadget]

[LastStand 2.0]

[wolfpaclaker]

We will need to get a 3rd superstar if Lebron actually begins to lose his grip as the league best player. Right now whatever physical decline Bron has had, he had made up with it other ways and been able to stay within the top 3. You add AD, and that is enough with role players.

But say if Bron declines a bit more, and becomes more limited to being an all-star level player vs superstar, a top 10 guy, sort of like Kobe was 2011-2013, then, you probably need to get a 3rd star to win rings.

Giannis was that insurance policy towards that - in case Bron declined from undisputed top 3/best to top 10-15, you could still win a ring as Giannis was that top 3 level player.

That is why I wanted him, and I am sure the Lakers will have a look at players via trade who can bring that. However without draft picks, it will be hard to get that player via trade, even with good trade assets like we have (Trez, Schroder, KCP, Kuz). Without a 3rd star, we will need incredible luck and fortune with Lebron/AD health/level over the next 3 years, as well as great role players. Because I do think Bron at some point has to drop a notch from top 3/best, to top 10-15. It is coming, even though he has done an incredible job delaying it.

[drae]