The Chicago Bulls are looking to launch a rebuild in 2024-25, but they still lack the appropriate roster for such a mission.
All-Star veterans Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević stand out as poor fits for a youth movement/tank, but the Bulls haven't been able to trade either player.
According to a new report, that could soon change, at least concerning LaVine.
In a piece released Wednesday entitled, "5 NBA Offseason Trades That Can Still Happen", Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes outlined a possible deal that sends LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around Austin Reaves.
"Lakers acquire Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls for Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes," Hughes said.
"Lakers can't go into the 2024-25 season without taking a big swing at ... more high-end talent. ... (LaVine has) elite scoring skill, as demonstrated by his pair of All-Star nods and 2022-23 average of 24.8 points on a 48.5/37.5/84.8 shooting split.
"Lakers aren't giving up any draft equity here, and a healthy LaVine would give them a star-level scorer to bolster an offense that managed a ho-hum 115.5 points per 100 possessions whenever (LeBron) James was off the floor last season."
"The Bulls preserve their picks, break up LaVine's big deal into four smaller ones and remove their biggest impediment to a true reconstruction. Meanwhile, the Lakers take a justifiable risk by adding one of the higher-ceiling pieces available."
It's difficult to imagine the Lakers parting ways with Reaves, whom they value highly, but Hughes presents a convincing case for Los Angeles to acquire LaVine.
The Bulls would do this deal in a second, especially as they've suffered through months of there being virtually no market for LaVine.
Will Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka surprise everyone and make a play for LaVine before fall?
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