The Los Angeles Lakers look poised to make a trade this offseason to get them back to contender status. Jake Uitti of The Sporting News proposed a deal that could help them with that, sending D’Angelo Russell and others to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine.
Bulls would get: Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent
Lakers would get: LaVine
“Would the Bulls accept a trio of salaries for their former two-time All-Star? Would the Lakers take a flier on LaVine to put him alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the hopes that he can stay healthy in the SoCal sun?
“If LaVine was able to post an All-Star-caliber season, that could mean a lot for the Lakers — a top-four of James, Davis, LaVine, and Austin Reaves could earn the Lakers a top-six seed in the Western Conference, but it would be a big gamble,” Uitti wrote on June 1.
Russell has a player option, which he’d have to opt into for this trade to work.
Zach LaVine’s Asking Price ‘Has Dropped Significantly’
The Los Angeles Lakers have assets, but not as many as teams like the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and others who could also be star-hunting this offseason. The Lakers will have access to three first-round picks to trade this offseason.
However, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, LaVine’s asking price “has dropped significantly.”
“Content may be the wrong word, and I do get the sense both sides are motivated to make something work this offseason,” Johnson wrote on June 1 when asked if the Bulls were content with him on the roster.
“I don’t think the Bulls will take an awful deal if little materializes, but I do get the sense they’re open to more possibilities than before. More to the point: I’ve reported before what their asking price was—All-Star level talent, first-round picks or both—and my sense is that it has dropped significantly.”
If that’s the case, and the Lakers wouldn’t have to trade multiple first-round picks, it would also allow them to make other moves with their three tradeable first-round picks.
How LaVine Would Fit the Lakers
LaVine, when he’s playing at the top of his game, is someone who can score the basketball at an elite level. He’s just a few seasons removed from being regarded as one of the top shooting guards in basketball.
Ranking the top shooting guards for the 2021-22 NBA season, Frank Urbina of Hoops Hype ranked LaVine at No. 5, a well-deserved ranking given he was coming off a season where he averaged 27.4 points per game and shot 50.7% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range.
However, since then, LaVine has dealt with multiple injuries, and his production has taken a hit. In this past season, the 29-year-old played in 25 games, averaging 19.5 points and shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range.
His $215.1 million contract adds some question marks due to his injury history, dealing with a foot injury that required surgery and kept him out for much of the year.
Playing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, LaVine could give the Los Angeles Lakers another player who can score the basketball at an elite level. If he can even return to his 2021-22 season where he posted 24.4 points and shot 47.6% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range, the Lakers would improve.
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