The rumor mill is churning with Lakers buzz as Los Angeles looks to get back on top following a first-round exit. Firing Darvin Ham is a clear indication LA will change up whatever it needs to return to legitimate contention.
On the roster side, a big-time addition appears to be brewing, and now there’s another possible target clearly available for Rob Pelinka.
Evan Sidery of Forbes reports the Chicago Bulls “will attempt” to trade guard Zach LaVine this offseason. Sidery notes LaVine’s market is “severely limited”, though, and Chicago “might have to attach an asset to get off LaVine at this rate.”
This news should certainly perk up the Lakers’ ears for several reasons. The most obvious is the fact LaVine’s a major scoring threat on the wing who’d help supercharge Los Angeles’ offense and provide a unique offensive weapon alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The fact Chicago’s motivated to split from LaVine is another positive development. James reportedly would’ve been on board with the Lakers landing LaVine at this year’s trade deadline, so now Los Angeles gets another chance to appease its top star by going after the high-flying former No. 13 pick.
Best of all, it sounds like acquiring LaVine won’t be nearly as costly as it would’ve been before. If anything, Los Angeles might get assets back in addition to LaVine, as long as it can make the financials work.
Of course, LaVine has another three years left on his current contract at around $138 million total, so there’s a staggering cost built into any trade deal to bring him in. There’s no denying he’s the kind of star addition who’d help this team, though, and his clear availability makes him a more realistic target than other potential acquisitions this summer.
