Standing at the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a 20-16 record, the Los Angeles Lakers have experienced an uneven first campaign under JJ Redick. While currently in a playoff spot, the team knows they can’t continue to rely on LeBron James for superhuman performances every night, which has prompted Los Angeles to add some extra firepower. However, that offensive help won’t be coming from the disgruntled Chicago Bulls star, Zach LaVine.
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The Lakers had apparently reached out to Chicago with an offer to acquire LaVine. The talks for the two-time All-Star, however, reportedly didn’t go very far.
Despite the Bulls marketing LaVine as a tradeable asset, Chicago has been very demanding in dealing with offers for their electrifying shooting guard. Even amidst another mediocre season for the Bulls, the team has so far refused to budge on their most valuable asset. That’s why LaVine has been stuck in Chicago for the past few seasons.
The Chicago Bulls discussed a potential Zach LaVine trade with the Lakers, but the talks didn’t progress very far, per @JCowleyHoops pic.twitter.com/G3UwXnffmq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 12, 2025
LaVine may not be the answer for the Lakers, who don’t boast the most financial flexibility right now. But the Purple and Gold would have certainly celebrated such a major signing before the trade deadline. LaVine can create his own shots as a talented Wing. That would have created more wiggle room for the team’s other major stars.
With a 40-year-old James and an injury-prone big man in Anthony Davis, Los Angeles knows the time is now to make a move for a third option on the team who can carry a bulk of the workload. Otherwise, they can forget contending for the title in a stacked Western Conference.
Lakers could use their draft picks to facilitate a big move
The Lakers have already made one notable acquisition this season in Dorian Finney-Smith, who has settled in nicely as a role player. However, that’s not a major win in the grand scheme of things. This situation could force L.A. into moving on from their own highly-coveted first-round draft picks in order to convince a team to trade a star.
There aren’t too many available stars right now outside of LaVine, so the Lakers will have to get creative with whatever they decide to do. With the franchise likely headed for a rebuild once LeBron calls it quits, there shouldn’t be a shortage of teams looking to acquire these selections.
The Lakers could decide in the end that LaVine is the missing piece in their title quest after all, prompting them to indulge with Chicago to get a deal done at any cost. However, that seems unlikely at the moment.
Bradley Beal and Jimmy Butler could be other options. But things are still pretty unclear as the trade deadline approaches.
