D'Angelo Russell officially received the best offers from the Lakers, and he accepted.

D’Angelo Russell officially received the best offers from the Lakers, and he accepted.

This season, the Los Angeles Lakers are vying for the NBA championship and are trying to figure out how to get ahead in the Western Conference. Despite being just 27 years old and averaging 15.3 points and 6.2 assists per game this season, starting point guard D’Angelo Russell has been the subject of trade rumors the entire campaign.

LeBron James is almost 39 years old, so the Lakers want to win it all this season. They plan to acquire a third star player to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis by using D’Angelo Russell as trade bait along with other players and the valuable 2029 first-round pick. These are the top five D’Angelo Russell trades that the Lakers can make right now.

If the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls were to trade, they would be deliberately going after DeMar DeRozan, who is their top target. The attraction of adding a seasoned scorer such as DeRozan could greatly increase the offensive potency of the Lakers. DeRozan’s skillful mid-range play and ability to create his own shot would be a great asset to the Lakers, particularly in combination with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Currently shooting 45.1% from the field, the six-time All-Star is averaging 22.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.

DeRozan’s ability to score in a variety of ways, especially from mid-range and isolation, complements both Anthony Davis’s inside-out scoring ability and LeBron James’s deft playmaking. In addition to relieving offensive pressure from James and Davis, his ability to stretch the floor sufficiently (35.7% 3-PT FG this season) and create effective scoring opportunities adds a dynamic element to the Lakers’ attack. DeRozan’s track record of success in clutch situations validates the Lakers’ late-game options even more.

Russell has developed into a useful asset thanks to his ability to create plays and his increased scoring. DeRozan’s established experience, though, might be seen by the Lakers as a more direct and significant asset to their hopes of winning a championship. The Bulls’ deal is sweetened by the addition of a future first-round pick, which adds a potential building