Zach LaVine trade rumors: How Lakers can acquire Bulls star without including Austin Reaves in deal

As expected, the Lakers have emerged as an option for Zach LaVine.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported earlier in the week that there is "increased openness" from LaVine and the Bulls about exploring a trade. The Lakers were mentioned as one of the teams expected to "have a level of interest" in the two-time All-Star, and that interest is now said to be real.

The latest news comes with a caveat: Los Angeles wouldn't want to include Austin Reaves in a LaVine trade, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, even with the 25-year-old no longer in the starting lineup. 

Is that even possible? Let's take a closer look.

TRADE DESTINATIONS: Zach LaVine | DeMar DeRozan | Alex Caruso

How the Lakers can trade for Zach LaVine without including Austin Reaves

There is a way the Lakers can acquire LaVine without parting ways with LeBron James, Anthony Davis or Reaves.

LaVine is making $40.0 million this season. The easiest way for the Lakers to match his salary without including James, Davis or Reaves is by building an offer around D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, who are on the books for a combined $33.0 million this season.

A rebuilding Bulls team might not have much interest in Russell and Hachimura specifically, so the draw for them would likely be Jalen Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, or one of the two first-round draft picks the Lakers can currently offer. The Lakers could sweeten the deal with a pick swap or future second-round picks.

MORE: The Lakers need to play Rui Hachimura more

Hood-Schifino has yet to play this season, but The Sporting News' draft expert Kyle Irving was high on the Lakers selecting him where they did.

Here's what Irving had to say about the pick in the moment:

The Lakers are getting great value with this pick. Hood-Schifino is a fantastic pick-and-roll playmaker who can take some ball-handling pressure off of LeBron James. Los Angeles gains a high-upside point guard with a confident midrange jumper and the length to bother opposing guards on the defensive end.

The kicker is the Lakers can't make that trade now. Because they re-signed Russell and Hachimura to new contracts in the offseason, they aren't trade-eligible until Jan. 15. They'd have the same issue even if they were willing to include Reaves in the deal.

If they didn't have those restrictions, this trade would get the green light from Fanspo:

Trading two rotational players for LaVine would obviously hurt the Lakers' depth. They'd likely have to turn to the buyout market later in the season to address that need the best they could.

The Bulls might be able to find a better offer for LaVine, but it hinges on how high they are on Hood-Schifino, how valuable they think the Lakers' 2029 or 2030 first-round pick could be and whether or not they believe they could flip Russell or Hachimura for players or assets that better fit their timeline.

Zach LaVine contract details

LaVine signed a five-year, $215.2 million extension with the Bulls in 2022. He has a player option in his contract for the 2026-27 season, making 2026 the soonest he could become a free agent.