The NBA trade market is on the verge of absolute meltdown. With Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo officially dominating the rumor mill after a highly tumultuous, volatile season, a massive blue-blood arms race has ignited between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Milwaukee’s front office desperately tries to navigate the fallout of their multi-time MVP wanting out, the opening salvos of the bidding war have been leaked. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, ESPN insider Shams Charania pulled back the curtain on the asset package the Los Angeles Lakers are ready to put on the table.
The verdict? It is a remarkably underwhelming package—and if Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics allow Southern California to beat them to the punch, it would be a downright embarrassing failure of asset management.
Inside the Lakers’ Lowball Offer
According to Charania, the Lakers are preparing an offer centered around three future first-round draft picks and immediate salary cap space. While Charania himself openly noted that the Bucks “can do better than that,” the reality is that the Lakers possess an unearned confidence after pulling off the ultimate heist last year by landing Luka Doncic in what many consider the worst trade in NBA history.
Let’s be entirely blunt: three distant first-round picks from a franchise that historically reloads rather than rebuilds project to be terrible, late-lottery or end-of-round selections. The only logical reason Milwaukee would even glance at the Lakers’ offer is a desperate desire to banish Giannis to the Western Conference.
Because Antetokounmpo represents a definitive flight risk to hit free agency next summer, rival front offices are terrified of offering a king’s ransom. But the Bucks brought this catastrophic leverage problem entirely on themselves—and they may be forced to take 50 cents on the dollar.
The Boston Masterclass: Why the Celtics Can Easily Outbid L.A.
Even if the Celtics refuse to include franchise pillar Jaylen Brown—who is fresh off a career-best season that will net him All-NBA Second Team honors at an absolute minimum—Boston’s depth chart allows them to easily blow the Lakers out of the water.
A hypothetical package constructed around elite utility star Derrick White would instantly trump anything Rob Pelinka can piece together.
| Asset Comparison | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Player Piece | Salary Cap Filler / Mid-Tier Assets | Derrick White (Elite Impact Guard) |
| Draft Capital | 3 Future First-Round Picks | High-Value Pick Configurations |
| Milwaukee Flip Value | Extremely Low | Extremely High (White easily reroots for massive hauls) |
Outside of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and an aging LeBron James, the Lakers’ roster completely lacks players with White’s structural, two-way impact. Even after navigating a minor statistical down-year, White remains one of the league’s ultimate floor-raisers.
If Milwaukee chooses to enter a hard rebuild, rerouting Derrick White to a desperate contender would net them a far superior haul of young players and premium draft capital than the Lakers’ entire baseline offer. Old friend Marcus Smart has proven he still has some juice left in the tank, but anyone claiming he belongs on White’s tier in 2026 is lying to themselves.
The baseline has been set. The Lakers have thrown down a weak hand, relying on their historical mystique and the ghost of the Doncic trade to carry them across the finish line. If the Celtics want to solidify a dynasty, the assets are sitting right there. Don’t blow it.
