Heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls don’t have a ton of pressure to compete for a title right away.
After declaring they were in a rebuild ahead of last season’s trade deadline, the Bulls are still in the early stages of rebuilding for a better future. They can take chances—and the Los Angeles Lakers could have an intriguing pickup for them on the block.
Chicago Bulls Proposed To Trade For Lakers 4-Year NBA Veteran
Jake LaRavia just might be a name worth watching throughout the upcoming season.
Morris Bankston of Pippen Ain’t Easy noted that LaRavia could be the final addition to the roster, as he’s a reliable defensive playmaker who provides a good contribution of bench scoring.
The timelines also match. Again, with the Bulls being in a rebuild, their priority in trades should be acquiring assets or younger players. LaRavia is experienced, but will be just 25 in November.
“LaRavia’s roster cons are equally clear. At the power forward position, there’s a case to be made that LaRavia is undersized at 6’7″ and 235 pounds, and his career rebounding numbers might be the smoking gun that closes that case. In his four-season NBA career, LaRavia averages 6.0 rebounds per 36 minutes,” Bankston wrote, weighing the positives and negatives.
Jake LaRavia’s NBA Career
The 24-year-old entered the NBA in 2022.
At the time, LaRavia was wrapping up a run at Wake Forest. He ended up being selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves sent LaRavia to the Memphis Grizzlies.
LaRavia spent two full seasons with the Grizzlies. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings amid his third season in Memphis. When LaRavia hit the open market in 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers signed him for two years at $12 million.
With the Lakers, LaRavia appeared in 82 games. He even started a career-high 43 games. The young veteran shot 45.9% from the field and averaged 8.2 points per game. He also came down with 4.0 rebounds per game and produced 1.3 steals per game.
Being a veteran on an expiring deal with a playoff-ready Lakers team, LaRavia is an obvious trade-block candidate. He is set to make $6.0 million in 2026-2027.