Until the Chicago Bulls mercifully trade Zach LaVine, rumors and speculation about where he is headed will persist.
Let’s be clear: There really isn’t a trade market for Zach LaVine, but I did break the possibilities into three categories including “these teams could get desperate.”
There were teams, especially in the Western Conference, that did little to keep up with their counterparts, including the Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets.
LaVine represents a wildcard option that some team desperate to make a splash has in their back pocket, as they know LaVine is available, and they know they can have him without giving up much more than matching money.
LaVine is still an elite scorer when healthy, a high-volume 3-point threat who would add a much-needed weapon to a lot of wanna-be contenders, but he comes with substantial risk in terms of money and health, so the Bulls can’t expect to get much in return.
The team connected to LaVine for the longest has been the Los Angeles Lakers, who need another star to go with LeBron and Anthony Davis and have few ways to acquire one.
There is no evidence that the Lakers themselves have ever expressed interest in LaVine, but he might be their best option according to one anonymous Western Conference executive.
The Zach LaVine to the Lakers trade rumor won’t die
In a recent article for the LA Times (subscription), Dan Woike revealed a conversation he had with a West executive who thinks LaVine is still an option for the Lakers:
“Here was the gist of the pitch: LaVine could be gotten by simply matching the money he’s owed, getting the Bulls out from underneath a contract that’s likely going to last until 2027 and cost the team $138 million. That would allow the Lakers to keep their draft assets for a future deal or the inevitable rebuild.
A trade would cost the Lakers D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and either Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent — a big cost in talent because the team cannot take back more salary in a trade than it sends out.”
Given that there has been rampant speculation that the Bulls would have to give up assets just to get rid of LaVine, this deal represents a best-case scenario for the Bulls.
For one, Russell and Hachimura are useful players on reasonable contracts that could almost certainly be flipped for assets at the trade deadline.
Russell is on an expiring deal and Hachimura has just two years remaining at $17 and 18.2 million.
Vincent has two seasons left at $10 and 11 million and Vanderbilt has a four-year deal that ramps up from $10-13 million with a player option in the final year (not sure what the Lakers were thinking with that one).
The Bulls would be eating some bad money in Vincent and Vanderbilt, but they’d set themselves up for a fairly clean cap sheet in a season or two and would go all-in on the rebuild, which means retaining their 2025 pick.
Here’s the question: Why in the world would the Lakers do this? D’Angelo Russell gives them most of what a healthy LaVine would offer but at half the cost and no long-term obligations.
Hachimura has had some big games for the Lakers and he too is on a tradable contract.
And when you factor in that LaVine is off surgery and has a lengthy injury history, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers getting desperate enough to take this kind of risk.
If LaVine came back healthy and was playing well, it’s a trade deadline deal that could happen if the Lakers are struggling, otherwise, it seems way too risky for LA.