Getty D'Angelo Russell #1 and Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are on their way to the NBA In-Season Tournament championship game following their 133-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on December 7. Their recent run of success may push any trade plans they may have had further back than they already would be.
Rumored trade target Zach LaVine has missed the Chicago Bulls’ last three games with foot inflammation. He will miss another “three to four weeks” to continue recuperating, per the team.
“Ironically, this takes the Bulls and Zach LaVine right up to that … January 15 date when all the free agents will be eligible to be traded from last summer,” said Shams Charania on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” on December 7. “So when you think about teams like the Lakers – D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura – those two guys will both be trade eligible come January 15th.”
Russell will be trade-eligible on December 15.
He re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year, $36 million contract this offseason. But Hachumura’s three-year, $51 million contract could be critical for salary-matching purposes if the Lakers trade for a star.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there was no trade market for LaVine. The guard has been on the trade market for the last year.
Lack of Trade Market for Zach LaVine Could Benefit Lakers
That would also seem to fit the timeline of both teams. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha noted that the Lakers’ interest in LaVine is “real” during an appearance on the “Hoops Tonight” podcast on November 28. But he also noted that the Lakers would prefer to acquire LaVine’s teammates Alex Caruso and/or DeMar DeRozan instead.
The Lakers could still face competition from the Philadelphia 76ers for LaVine too.
“We know what this has been,” Charania said. “The Lakers, Sixers [are] two of the teams expected to have interest in Zach LaVine. And both sides – Zach LaVine and the Bulls – have been open to exploring trade avenues. But for now, Zach LaVine will remain shelved.”
“I don’t pull punches. I try to play through everything.” — Zach LaVine
NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson presented a scenario in which the Bulls have to include Caruso just to move off of LaVine’s contract. He is in Year 2 of a five-year, $215 million deal. If so, the Lakers might be wise to pass on DeRozan for a second time. He is in the final year of a three-year, $81.9 million contract.
The Lakers not focusing on acquiring LaVine in a trade wouldn’t keep them from swinging a trade if the right deal came along.
But the Bulls are not their only potential trade partner.
Lakers Eying Teardowns
“The Lakers plan to take a patient approach to the trade market,” Buha wrote on December 2. “They’re still evaluating their needs and will continue to monitor the league, including potential fire sales in Toronto, Washington, Utah, Brooklyn and/or Charlotte that could make useful rotation players available.”
Even if the Bulls trade LaVine, a teardown would not necessarily be imminent.
“Expect the Bulls to be patient in moving LaVine … trying to reload on the fly rather than attempt a full rebuild,” wrote Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times on December 7. “The immediate plan, rather, is to move LaVine and see what the team looks like with a 1-2 punch of DeRozan and Vucevic, plus whomever they receive in return.”
Zach LaVine was in his bag tonight.
36 points | 16-23 FG | 4-8 from three
Cowley does note that the Bulls’ front office is taking calls on both DeRozan and Caruso. That still leaves room for the Lakers to land their desired targets.