An underrated part about how good the Lakers are this season is their defense. The Lakers rank fifth in the NBA in defensive rating (106) and seventh in points allowed per game (106.9). Adding another defensive stopper to the mix is a good move for the Lakers if they’re looking to lock down on potential playoff opponents in the Western Conference like the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 6-foot-4 point guard Kris Dunn can add a lot of value in the final year of his rookie contract if he were to land with the Lakers. And this assumes that Dunn returns from the knee sprain injury soon. Dunn was hurt in the Bulls Feb. 2 loss to the Toronto Raptors on the road by an embarrassing 27-point margin.
In return from the Lakers, the Chicago Bulls get the former Golden State Warriors sharpshooting point guard Quinn Cook and the former Iowa State Cyclones shooting guard/small forward Talen Horton-Tucker. The rookie Horton-Tucker can help continue the rebuild for the Bulls, but they don’t have to mortgage their future by giving up Dunn to get him.
Horton-Tucker just didn’t get enough of a chance to make an impact this season with the Lakers. Cook also was put in a bad spot compared to the role he found himself in with the Warriors. Cook can help the floor spacing of the Bulls, since he is a career 41.6 percent three-point shooter. He is starting to find his rhythm better of late too.