Wow! The Clippers are targeting Giannis for the future! The biggest star in the NBA trade market.

Analyst Simmons: The Clippers are preparing to pursue Giannis for the summer of 2027.

Surprised? Of course not.

Leonard and Harden's contracts all expire in the summer of '27, and this arrangement clearly shows that the Clippers intend to clear salary space for a major superstar to join them.

Thus, the championship window for the Leonard + Harden duo is at most two years; this is a crucial opportunity that cannot be missed. With the additions of Beal, Collins, Paul, and DeAndre Jordan this summer, the Clippers are now among the favorites for the championship in the upcoming season.

Giannis is under contract until 2028, but he has a player option for the summer of '27, with a salary of $62.79 million for the 27-28 season. This summer, he briefly became the hottest commodity in the trade market, yet he has not fully committed to leaving yet.

Some might criticize that even if the Clippers can free up salary space in the summer of '27, they may not be able to assemble a strong championship-contending roster to attract Giannis or other superstars. As mentioned by the analyst, what attracts Giannis to the Clippers is not just their competitiveness, but also the international city of Los Angeles.

Giannis is currently 30 years old, and in two years he will be 32. At this age, he should consider life after retirement, and Los Angeles is naturally more suitable for "retirement" and building his business empire compared to Milwaukee. Just look at LeBron James, who joined the Lakers in 2018 and has been with them for seven years; older players typically prefer to move to big cities.

Meanwhile, the Lakers also have plans for the summer of '27, even targeting Giannis just like the Clippers.

If Giannis has to choose between the Clippers and the Lakers, the purple and gold team might come out on top. Both teams are in Los Angeles, but the Lakers have the legacy of an NBA powerhouse and at least have a superstar partner like Doncic (LeBron's contract expires next summer), making them incredibly attractive.

In fact, there may not even be a need to wait until the summer of '27; we might see Giannis truly available by next year's trade deadline. After losing Lillard, the Bucks have essentially lost their championship eligibility, and if hope is lost, this Greek freak might request a trade to avoid wasting his prime years.

In summary, Giannis will be the biggest fish in the upcoming trade market; stay tuned!