The Luka Doncic trade has turned the NBA on its head. We’ve seen players reacting on Twitter, and in videos, like us, they are completely shocked. Beyond the disbelief, players are also realizing that nobody is safe from being traded, regardless of how good they are. It is one of the first times that one of the league’s top European stars finds themselves in a big market. One of the more interesting reactions to the Mavericks trade came from former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. His comments on Luka to the Lakers bring up some interesting questions on whether a Giannis trade could be on the horizon.
Giannis’ Comments After Luka Trade Indicate He Could Be Next
Giannis Comments on Luka to the Lakers
Every player in the league is shocked by the Luka trade. Because of that, we’ve seen multiple players interviewed about their opinions of the trade. When Giannis was asked his thoughts, he mentioned the history of great European players in major markets. Giannis said,
“You know what I want? I want Luka to the Lakers, I want Nikola Jokic to the New York Knicks, I want all the Europeans to go to all the big markets to see something incredible.”
Giannis did say this partly in jest, but it certainly raises some red flags for Milwaukee fans. He also went on to speak on the lack of loyalty in the NBA and how nobody is safe, but that goes both ways. Giannis spoke on how teams cannot have a double standard. Teams can make the best moves for them but should expect that players in turn will do the same. This part of Giannis’ comments shows that even he doesn’t believe in blind loyalty to an organization.
Is a Giannis Trade More Likely Now?
The Luka trade certainly opens the door for any franchise superstar to be traded or ask out. Loyalty between stars and their teams is no longer expected in a league that is becoming more cold-blooded. Two parts of Giannis’ recent comments indicate that he could be ok with leaving Milwaukee.
After tonight's game, Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked for his thoughts on Luka Dončić getting traded by the Dallas Mavericks.
Turns out Antetokounmpo had quite a few thoughts on the matter: pic.twitter.com/nNWNpg1LfJ
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 3, 2025
Firstly his comments joking about European stars in bigger markets. Do you know who is arguably one of the biggest European stars of all time who has spent his entire career in a small market? Giannis. Could his joking comments be a veiled wish to play on a bigger stage? It certainly seems possible.
Giannis Could Leave the Bucks for a Chance to Win Again
Milwaukee’s superstar added in his comments, “When a player believes that he can go to a different team and he believes he can have a chance to win a championship, we cannot crucify the person and say that he’s not loyal”.
Giannis has already made it clear to Milwaukee that if they don’t put him in a position to win more championships, he will leave for greener pastures. Right now Giannis’ Bucks are the fifth seed in the East at 26-21. They certainly aren’t the favorite to win the NBA Finals. If Giannis wants to win another championship, he could definitely ask out. Let’s see if a Giannis trade becomes another shocking piece of NBA drama over the next few days or this offseason.
