Getty Zach LaVine defending LeBron James.
As the Los Angeles Lakers look to pair Anthony Davis and LeBron James with a third star this offseason, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that helps them with just that. Buckley’s proposal sends Zach LaVine to the Lakers in a deal that wouldn’t move any picks.
Lakers get: LaVine
Bulls get: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt
“It might pain the Bulls’ brass to let go of LaVine and not get a draft pick in return, but if draft picks were available for the oft-injured and overpaid scorer, a deal surely would have been done by now,” Buckley wrote in his May 7 article exploring trade ideas for every NBA lottery team if they win the No.1 pick. “Chicago could instead view a lottery win as enough of a draft reward to just be done with the LaVine era and allow its next ballyhooed prospect to start their career without that cloud of uncertainty hanging above the Windy City.
“This return isn’t much, but it does deliver three usable rotation players who are all on more reasonable contracts than LaVine. Even if the Bulls don’t plan on keeping all of them, each would be far easier to trade than LaVine is now. And if they decide to finally blow up this roster, any one of the three might help deliver assets for an overdue rebuild.”
LeBron James Was ‘In Support’ of Trading for Zach LaVine
LaVine, a Klutch Sports client with agent Rich Paul, was someone James was “in support” of leading up to the deadline as he wanted a “ballhandling sidekick,” according to Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“James has long wanted a star ballhandling sidekick, dating back to the Lakers’ failed bid for Damian Lillard in the summer of 2021 and their subsequent deal for Russell Westbrook,” Amick, Slater, and Buha wrote on February 14.
“Since then, James urged the Lakers to acquire former running mate Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2022, at the 2023 trade deadline and again in the summer of 2023, according to team and league sources. James was also in support of the Lakers trading for Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine — two Klutch Sports clients — in the weeks and months leading into the 2024 trade deadline, according to those sources”.
LaVine underwent season-ending foot surgery that the Chicago Bulls announced on February 3, making him a nonfactor in the February 8 trade deadline.
However, James supporting the idea of landing LaVine is important as that could be the case again this offseason if the Lakers have interest in him after his surgery.
How LaVine Would Help the Lakers
The idea of pairing James and Davis with LaVine would be to take pressure off their two existing stars. LaVine, who recently turned 29 years old, has averaged over 24.4 points in every season he’s played more than 25 games since 2018-2019.
A two-time All-Star, LaVine is a volume scorer, taking at least 17.7 shots per game in that span. He’s also taken at least 7.1 threes per game in that span and has shot at least 37.5% in every season.
The UCLA product would return to the area and could bring the Los Angeles Lakers another scorer who can have 25-plus on any given night.
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