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Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic?
The greatest European one-two punch in basketball history might come to fruition as every day it seems more like it is writing on the wall that Antetokounmpo will be traded from the only franchise he’s ever known, the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA insider Jake Fischer broke the news today that back in 2020, before Giannis led the Bucks to their second-ever title a year later, the two-time Greek MVP was plotting a move to two teams.
He either wanted to play on the Miami Heat or create a super duo alongside the Slovenian wunderkind on the Dallas Mavericks.
While neither trade materialized, and Antetokounmpo went on to have one of the best Game 7 performances ever in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns, the opportunity now arises again, with the Lakers a leading candidate to make a deal with the Bucks.
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As the Bucks are looking towards the future, LeBron James (who also has a no-trade clause) is a no-go if the two European stars want to unite. Any deal between the Lakers and Bucks would have to include possibly the league’s best so far in 2025, Austin Reaves, who has transformed from sidekick to leading man, averaging 28.4 points and 6.7 assists for the season.
The question is whether the Lakers would offload Reaves, who is in the final year of his contract and eligible for a sizeable raise in the offseason.
Antetokounmpo is currently out for two to four weeks with a calf strain. Doncic is in action on Wednesday, as the Los Angeles Lakers play the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.