The Los Angeles Lakers’ long-shot hopes of acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo may be improving as several teams with the strongest trade assets are now believed to be unlikely participants if the two-time MVP eventually asks out of Milwaukee.

According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder—all franchises that possess the draft capital and young talent to assemble overwhelming trade packages—are expected to stay committed to their current builds instead of pursuing Antetokounmpo.

Teams With Major Draft Assets Expected to Sit Out Giannis Sweepstakes

Stein reported that teams closely monitoring the superstar trade landscape increasingly believe that San Antonio, Houston and Oklahoma City will refrain from pursuing Antetokounmpo, even if the Bucks open trade discussions. Each franchise is satisfied with its internal development trajectory and appears unlikely to dismantle its long-term plan.

“There is a growing belief among trade-trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo,” Stein wrote. “All three of those teams, as you can imagine, like what they have going.”

Stein added that some teams expect Milwaukee to eventually consider offers for Antetokounmpo sometime in January, ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. However, he stressed that the Bucks will not explore proposals until Antetokounmpo explicitly instructs the franchise to do so.

“The belief here at Stein Line HQ remains that it won’t happen until Giannis himself clearly directs the Bucks to do so,” Stein wrote.

If these three asset-rich franchises stay out, the field narrows considerably—and Los Angeles’ chances rise accordingly.

Dončić Reportedly Pushing for Lakers to Pursue Antetokounmpo

GettyLuka Doncic could have Giannis Antetokounmpo as his lob partner for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers may already have internal momentum toward a pursuit.

Luka Dončić, now the face of the franchise, has reportedly lobbied behind the scenes for the front office to explore the possibility of trading for Antetokounmpo.

According to Fox32 Chicago’s Lou Canellis, both the Lakers and Dončić themselves attempted to initiate conversations with Milwaukee.

“A few months ago, Giannis wanted to be traded… His first choice was the Knicks,” Canellis said on 670 The Score. “The Lakers inquired and Luka Dončić himself inquired.”

Canellis added that Milwaukee rejected New York’s unwillingness to include more significant assets beyond Karl-Anthony Towns, and confirmed that Dončić encouraged Los Angeles to engage the Bucks as well.

“Giannis wants to leave because he wants to win,” Canellis said.

What Giannis Wants: Warm Weather, Big Market and Title Contention

NBA insider Chris Haynes described the criteria Antetokounmpo is expected to prioritize when approving any trade destination.

Haynes said Antetokounmpo prefers playing in a warm climate, would likely choose a major media market and wants to join a team capable of immediate championship contention.

“Preferably, I think he would like to have some sun. He’d like to be, probably, in a big market,” Haynes told Rachel Nichols. “Outside of that, he just wants to be on a team where he can contend for a championship.”

These preferences align strongly with Los Angeles.

The Lakers offer a significantly warmer environment than Milwaukee, operate in one of the NBA’s largest markets and entered the season tied with the New York Knicks for the fourth-best championship odds at BetUS, according to esports.net.

Analyst: Lakers’ Chances Still Require ‘Found Money’ Scenario

Despite Dončić’s reported push and the Lakers meeting Antetokounmpo’s stated criteria, their practical path remains narrow.

The Athletic’s Dan Woike compared a potential Lakers acquisition of Antetokounmpo to “found money,” noting that such a move would require extraordinary circumstances—similar to how Dončić’s stunning relocation to Los Angeles unfolded.

“I don’t think the Lakers are particularly close,” Woike said on Lakers Lounge. “Giannis would have to really firebomb his reputation… It would have to get very ugly for Milwaukee to take pennies on the dollar.”

Woike said the Lakers’ most competitive offer next summer would likely consist of a future-oriented package built around three first-round picks and substantial cap space, but he expressed skepticism about Milwaukee accepting such a return.

“That’s the offer. And that’s not good enough,” Woike said.

If Spurs, Rockets and Thunder Stay Out, Lakers’ Odds Increase

While Los Angeles still faces steep obstacles—namely, limited draft flexibility and the need for Antetokounmpo to formally request a trade—the potential withdrawal of three major bidders fundamentally alters the landscape.

If the Spurs, Rockets and Thunder remain committed to their internal development paths, the Lakers’ theoretical path to Antetokounmpo becomes more open than at any point since rumors resurfaced.

For now, the superstar’s future remains tied to Milwaukee.

But in a market with fewer heavyweight contenders, the Lakers’ long-shot dream becomes a little less improbable.