The Los Angeles Lakers have been stellar under the leadership of their two superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but could the purple and gold turn the dynamic duo into a big three this coming summer?
The Los Angeles Lakers season so far has been all fans have wished and more. The purple and gold have a winning record, they are playoff bound (pending coronavirus limitations lifting), their two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been playing incredibly and the rest of the team is finally starting to click just at the right time.
After missing out on Kawhi Leonard, there was significant worry amongst fans of the purple and gold that Vogel and co. would struggle to land quality players to surround LeBron and AD and give them a chance to win a championship.
With the addition of players like Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard, and Marcus Morris, the purple and gold have been able to build a winner that if healthy, has a real chance to beat the best teams in the league and take home the Lakers first title in a decade.
With so much uncertainty and intrigue surrounding whether the rest of the NBA season will take place, a firm eye must be set on the upcoming summer.
Should the Lakers keep the roster the same as it is now, two superstars, and a group of quality rotation players? Or, should they chase the 3rd star and fill the roster with veteran minimum guys and ring chasers?
If the Lakers were in a position to get the 3rd star, who could it be?
One option that could be ideal is Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine. The trade:
- The Los Angeles Lakers receive: SG Zach LaVine
- The Chicago Bulls receive: SG Danny Green, PF/SF Kyle Kuzma and a 2019 1st round draft pick.
Below is why it makes sense for both parties.
Why it makes sense for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers would love a player like James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Giannis Antetokounmpo to be their 3rd star. The likelihood of landing any of these players is slim at best with Antetokounmpo potentially the only realistic option if he opts out of his contract and tests free agency in 2021.
The Lakers need to set their gaze on a more realistic option who can come in and be their 3rd star and who would be happy being that 3rd guy.
Enter Zach LaVine.
Since his days at UCLA, LaVine has shown an ability to be one of the most polarizing players in professional basketball. With dunks that would make Dominique Wilkins and Vince Carter blush and a silky smooth jump shot, LaVine flashed potential to possibly be a franchise-altering player.
To date, LaVine hasn’t quite reached that level. It says a lot that LaVine is a borderline All-Star ( He should have been an All-Star this year) and still has so much more potential to give.
At 25 years of age, Zach Lavine’s best years are 100 percent ahead of him.
While LaVine is considered to be the go-to guy for the Chicago Bulls, they are a team influx who now under new leadership in the front office should be looking to make moves to set the franchise up for success long term. While LaVine is a star on the rise, it doesn’t look likely that he will ever be the number 1 player on a championship team.
Luckily for the purple and gold, he would be the 3rd piece of the puzzle and what a 3rd piece to have.
The Lakers have deficiencies in two areas: secondary playmaking and 3-point shooting.
Zach LaVine fits these needs to an absolute T.
Shooting an excellent 37.5 percent from the 3-point line for his career, Zach LaVine would offer the Lakers a consistent sniper from the 3-point line who can get them 25 points a night easily.
He also offers the perfect secondary playmaker the purple and gold could wish for. LaVine works as both the primary and secondary playmaker for the Chicago Bulls making him perfectly prepared to play the secondary role for the Lakers.
Not to mention, his highlight dunks will be very much appreciated in Los Angeles.
Under the tutelage of LeBron James, LaVine could push his game to another level. LaVine has been in the NBA for 6 years and has just turned 25. His best years are ahead of him and being on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers could give LaVine the platform to focus on getting better without being the go-to guy on a nightly basis.
Why it makes sense for the Chicago Bulls:
In exchange, the Chicago Bulls gets a fellow sharpshooter and premier wing defender in Danny Green, a young prospect in need of a fresh start in Kyle Kuzma and a draft pick in this year’s upcoming draft.
Green’s contract expires in the summer of 2021 giving the Bulls a chance to move on from Green and free up some cap space to rebuild their roster in the stacked Summer of 2021. They also get Kyle Kuzma who has one of the most team-friendly deals in the entire NBA. Kuzma is in dire need of a move to get starting minutes.
He is capable of averaging 20 points a game, it just simply won’t be in Los Angeles as the imposing figure of Anthony Davis stands in his way.
The Bulls also add another asset in the form of the Los Angeles Lakers 2019 1st round pick, whether they decide to use it via trade or keep the prospect, it adds more trade capital to the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls have some decent talent on the roster but they are nowhere close to being a contender.
There is no prize for being mediocre and the Bulls are in the unenviable position of not being good enough to make the playoffs and not being bad enough to get a high draft pick.
Losing LaVine would push them in tanking direction which for their long term success could be a good thing.
Adding a top-caliber player in an upcoming draft could give the Bulls a potentially franchise level talent on a cheap deal for several years.
With new management in place for the Bulls, a fresh start might be the best solution for them.
Imagine a starting Line-up next season for the Los Angeles Lakers consisting of:
C DeMarcus Cousins (If he returns on a team-friendly deal)
PF Anthony Davis
SF LeBron James
SG Zach LaVine
PG Avery Bradley
A scary line-up that could potentially be incredibly hard to stop. Evenly balanced, incredibly dangerous, and ready for a championship run.
Could lead to an even more exciting time in Lakerland.