The Los Angeles Lakers just pulled off one of the most stunning trades in NBA history by acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe the deal's final grade will look different a few years from now, but at the moment, it's one of the most lopsided trades the league has ever seen.
The Mavs landed superstar big man Anthony Davis from the Lakers, but giving away one of the best players in the NBA, who's also on track to end his career as one of the greatest players in basketball history, seems ludicrous.
After the initial shock of the deal wears off, it's fair to start thinking about the roster LA General Manager Rob Pelinka has assembled and how the pieces fit together. (Not that you say no to acquiring Doncic, regardless of fit.)
Davis is one of the best defensive big men in the NBA; Doncic is one of the league's worst defenders. LeBron James' defense, or at least his effort on most nights, has slowed with age.
The Lakers also boast Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht on the wings, two more offense-first players. Finding a defensive-minded center to replace Davis looks like the next move for Los Angeles if it hopes to compete for a title in 2025.
That makes one of the Chicago Bulls' most available players seem like an awful fit. On paper, maybe he is. But the Lakers are short on tradeable assets and have a glaring hole to fill in the frontcourt. Maybe it's time LA gives Chicago GM Marc Eversley a call.
Bulls' Nikola Vucevic could make sense as a Lakers trade target
The only centers listed on LA's roster are Jaxson Hayes, Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III. Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith could play as small-ball centers in spurts, but without Davis, the Lakers don't have any starting-caliber big men.
Enter Chicago's Nikola Vucevic, who is more than available if Los Angeles wants to make a move for him. And, reportedly, Pelinka isn't done shuffling around his roster, either, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Vucevic wouldn't do anything to solve the Lakers' new defensive issues and the lack of rim protection that Davis left behind; but considering how much gravity Doncic takes up as an offensive hub, coupled with James' ability to run the offense and get to the rim, Vucevic would fit like a glove as a stretch five.
The 34-year-old big theoretically sharing the floor with Doncic, James, Reaves and Knecht would create a five-man lineup with multiple shooters and playmakers that could give opposing defenses trouble.
And frankly, no center on the trade market is good enough to fix the Lakers' new defensive problems. So why not go all-in on offense and add a 6-foot-10 center like Vucevic, who's shooting nearly 40 percent from three this season, to create more room for someone like Doncic to operate?
As the Feb. 6 trade deadline gets closer, the Bulls could come down on their demand for a first-round pick in exchange for their two-time All-Star center, and LA has a pair of second-round picks (one with protections that would have to be altered) to dangle in a deal that could perhaps include Hachimura and Wood's expiring contract.
It wouldn't be an ideal move for the Bulls, but if the Lakers come calling and want to make Vucevic their next addition, Chicago would have to at least pick up the phone and listen.