There’s no telling which players might become available over the next six months, but Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed five notable players he predicts could be on the move before the trade deadline.
One of these players is Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, who averages 20.5 points per game over his 10-year career and is set to earn $43 million next season as part of his $215 million contract.
Buckley noted, “LaVine has been on the trade block for the better part of a year. He’d likely have been traded already if not for the issues affecting his value. Despite his flaws, he remains a two-time All-Star and consistently puts up strong offensive numbers when healthy.
A team looking to win now and needing scoring and shooting will eventually target him as a quick solution.”
If the Lakers were truly interested in acquiring LaVine, they would have already done so, as the Bulls have aggressively tried to trade him without success. This is partly due to his hefty contract and the fact that he only played 25 games last season.
However, as next season progresses, the Lakers’ need to capitalize on the LeBron James–Anthony Davis window of contention might push them into making a desperate move.
Adding LaVine could relieve some offensive pressure from James and provide a high-scoring option when James is out due to injury or rest. However, LaVine’s defensive issues are a concern. Last season, he had a defensive rating of 117.8, compared to the league average of 116.1. Thus, pairing LaVine with Austin Reaves could create challenges for the Lakers’ backcourt defensively.
