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One of the top players in the NBA reportedly wants to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In a December 21 article called “Bulls’ Turmoil Has Teams Eyeing Trades for All-Star, Key Role Player,” Heavy.com senior insider Sean Deveney posted quotes he received from an Eastern Conference executive. The exec told Deveney that Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine “wants to go to the Lakers.”
“LaVine wants to go to the Lakers, that has been pretty clear for a while now,” the exec said. “The agents (from Klutch Sports) want him to be in Los Angeles, he is a UCLA guy and they did some rattling about his contract last offseason, to kind of lay the groundwork if things blew up. Which they seem to be doing.”
LaVine has the same agent as Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The two-time All-Star agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million deal with the Bulls in July. LaVine will have earned more than $301 million in his career once his current contract expires after the 2026-27 season. It’s worth mentioning that he has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign and his deal includes a 15% trade bonus.
Report: Zach LaVine and the Bulls Are Not on the Same Page
Many people around the NBA believe LaVine could request a trade to the Lakers once he becomes eligible to be moved in January. Shams Charania and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic reported on December 20 that LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye. Chicago had a locker room dispute at halftime against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 18 and it revolved around LaVine’s defense, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Even more, multiple league sources and sources close to the organization say LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye,” Charania and Mayberry reported. “Over the past few weeks, there’s been a palpable feeling across various parts of the franchise of a disconnect over LaVine’s situation in Chicago. All of this has been happening while LaVine is in the first season of a five-year, $215 million maximum deal that was signed this summer.”
On December 14, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wrote that the Lakers are “certainly keeping an eye trained toward” the Bulls‘ developments. Chicago has struggled this season after making the playoffs in 2022 and the franchise could enter a rebuild if things don’t improve.
“The Lakers are certainly keeping an eye trained toward the Bulls’ developments,” Fischer wrote. “A player like Zach LaVine would satisfy Los Angeles’ dreamiest returns for the two future first-round picks Rob Pelinka’s front office has left in its stable, although the murmured idea of flipping Russell Westbrook for Vucevic and DeRozan would appear a far more realistic outcome if Chicago does ultimately pivot from its postseason aspirations.”
Here’s How the Lakers Can Get Zach LaVine from the Bulls
Under CBA rules, the Lakers can trade Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Max Christie and their two draft picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Bulls for LaVine. Los Angeles could trade Russell Westbrook and draft picks to Chicago for LaVine under league rules. However, according to a December 9 report from Cowley, the Bulls aren’t interested in acquiring Westbrook despite the one-time MVP being on an expiring contract.
“So while the Lakers might be looking to make a big trade and have their eyes on the Bulls’ roster, the feeling isn’t mutual,” Cowley wrote. “According to a source, executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has no interest in acquiring Russell Westbrook and his expiring contract, even if it means adding draft picks.”
LaVine would complement James and Davis with his shooting ability. The UCLA product is a career 38.4% shooter from beyond the arc.
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