The Chicago Bulls might acquire a 28-year-old star from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Zach LaVine.
Currently, the Bulls find themselves in a challenging position: they’re not strong enough to contend nor weak enough to rebuild fully. This situation is particularly problematic in the NBA.
To embrace a true rebuild, the Bulls need to move on from Zach LaVine, who, despite being a two-time All-Star and one of the team’s top players when healthy, is set to earn $138 million over the next three years. Given the Bulls’ limited prospects for immediate success, this hefty salary is a burden they can’t afford.
LaVine has frequently appeared in trade rumors, but finding a new destination for him has been tough, partly due to his injury history impacting his trade value.
The Los Angeles Lakers, despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are not considered strong contenders for the 2024-25 season and could be looking to make a significant move. A suggested trade involves sending LaVine to the Lakers and bringing D’Angelo Russell to the Bulls. According to Eric Pincus in Bleacher Report’s “1 ‘Realistic’ Dream Trade Target for Every NBA Team,” such a trade would likely mean LaVine would head to Los Angeles, with Russell coming to Chicago. The Bulls don’t particularly need a point guard like Russell, but his expiring contract could be beneficial.
Russell, who averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists per game last season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc, could be a valuable player for the Bulls.
For the Lakers, LaVine’s ability to score 20-plus points per game would provide the additional offensive firepower needed alongside LeBron and Davis.
