The Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls receive: Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and Talen Horton-Tucker
The Los Angeles Lakers receive: Zach LaVine
The Los Angeles Lakers finally land their 3rd star.
It has been apparent ever since the Anthony Davis trade that the Lakers were very much in the hunt for a 3rd superstar. Their sights were firmly set on Kawhi Leonard. A Kawhi, LeBron and AD pairing would have been epic, however, it was not meant to be.
They had an interest in the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, and Jimmy Butler, however, through back-channeling, these players were very much spoken for by the time Kawhi was no longer on the market.
Their attention then turned to their former 2nd overall draft pick D’Angelo Russell who had become a star with the Brooklyn Nets. This again was in vain, as Russell was sent in a sign and trade to the Warriors in exchange for Kevin Durant’s services.
While the Lakers bounced back with numerous solid free agent signings, they did not get the 3rd star they wanted.
In Lavine, they would finally have that guy.
People hear Zach LaVine’s name and think the two-time slam dunk champion, a player who has out of the gym hops. They don’t realize that LaVine has quietly become one of the best combo guards in the NBA.
LaVine is unquestionably one of the best athletes in the NBA and his dunking ability is legendary but his game is so much more than that.
Capable of scoring 20 points a night with ease, LaVine has a silky smooth jump shot and handles that gives teams trouble every night. He can catch fire and torch teams when he needs to which would be an extremely important trait to have for the purple and gold. He also has an underrated passing game that could solve the Lakers secondary playmaker problems.
LaVine is also under a team-friendly contract for the next number of seasons which is also fantastic.
The Lakers would be emptying their young prospect cupboard to land LaVine. Kuzma would be a great fit in Chicago. Capable of playing both power forward and small forward, Kuzma would give the Bulls an enviable forward rotation with Wendell Carter Jr, Lauri Markkanen and Thad Young. This trade would even give the Bulls a chance to off-load someone like Young to gain more draft capital.
Danny Green would be a hand in glove fit for the Bulls. Capable of playing both shooting guards and small forward, Green would bring leadership and reliability. With Green on the roster, the Bulls could hand the playmaking duties over to Coby White.
In Talen Horton-Tucker the Bulls would be getting an exciting young prospect who has shown great improvement in the G-League. Blessed with ridiculous wingspan, Horton-Tucker has a rare all-around game that doesn’t come around every day.
Capable of not only being an effective scorer, but Horton-Tucker can also pass, rebound, block shots and pick up steals. While he has only so far done this on the G-League level, the Lakers are supremely confident that they can develop his talents and make him a valuable member of the Purple and Gold.
Unfortunately, when you are chasing rings, developing talent isn’t exactly a priority. Adding LaVine will help the Lakers towards winning a championship.
This trade also frees up 2 cap spaces for the Lakers which they can use to land players in the buyout market. With Troy Daniels and Quinn Cook also not playing well, the Lakers could completely revamp the team with some moves in the post-trade-deadline market.
With the likes of Darren Collison and potentially players like Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala and Goran Dragic all potentially being bought out, the Lakers could fill the roster spots with veterans who will help in a playoff run.