As trade speculation continues to heat up around Bulls star Zach LaVine, the Los Angeles Lakers are being mentioned as one of the few teams with enough to gain to make his pursuit worthwhile. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers are legitimately interested in a deal with the Bulls for one (or all) of three players: Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, and veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan.
“The Lakers’ interest in LaVine is real — at the right price,” Buha wrote. “However, LaVine’s potential availability also hints at the possibility of a fire sale in Chicago, with the organization seemingly looking to finally pivot away from its longstanding mediocrity. If additional Bulls players become available, the Lakers would also have interest in DeMar DeRozan and/or former Laker Alex Caruso, according to multiple team sources.
At 6-6 through 12 games, the Lakers have not had an ideal start to the season. Between inconsistent play from Anthony Davis and a major shooting slump for Austin Reaves, the Lakers are struggling to put points on the board and a guy like LaVine or DeRozan could make a huge difference for them offensively. Currently, however, there’s no sign that the Lakers are willing to risk it all for a desperate move like this.
While DeRozan and LaVine may qualify as All-Stars, it’s backup point guard Alex Caruso who is getting the most attention from opposing GMs. Unlike some of his teammates, Caruso is on a team-friendly contract with an annual average salary of $9.2 million. On that deal, he’s been an absolute bargain for the Bulls as the team’s best perimeter defender and most reliable floor general. In 10 games for the Bulls this season, he’s averaging 8.6 points, 2.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game on 60% shooting.
Of course, Caruso started off his career with the Purple and Gold, breaking out into a top-tier role-player after his first three seasons with the Lakers. With the Bulls, Caruso has reached even greater heights as an impact-maker on the court and now the Lakers are hoping to bring him back to strengthen their shaky bench unit. Depending on the price, Alex is a much better fit for this Lakers team than LaVine or DeRozan but it remains to be seen if they can win the inevitable bidding war.
LaVine Hinting At Lakers’ Future
As the most decorated player on the Bulls roster, Zach LaVine’s future has the chance to leave a lasting impact on the league. It’s almost a certainty now that Zach will be moved before February’s trade deadline, and the Lakers have been connected to him for various reasons. After years of rumors that LaVine wanted to be a Laker, he recently gave fuel to the speculation when he sported an LA cap after a recent game.
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