The Los Angeles Lakers could have been a better version of the Chicago Bulls

The Los Angeles Lakers made the boldest move of the offseason by trading for Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook is a former MVP, the fit alongside LeBron James was questionable and Westbrook’s style of play has not really resulted in winning basketball.

The Westbrook experience thus far has been up and down and there are fans who still think that the team should have traded for Buddy Hield instead.

While Hield was definitely the next-closest move that could have happened, the Lakers also could have gone down another route. Los Angeles could have built a roster that is very similar to another potential playoff team in the NBA: the Chicago Bulls.

How the Los Angeles Lakers could have been a better version of the Chicago Bulls:

The main centerpiece in the Lakers being a better version of the Bulls is DeMar DeRozan. The Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly interested in DeRozan. Obviously, the Lakers went with Westbrook, but it is not like DeRozan is an absurd potential target.

Another potential target could have been former Laker, Lonzo Ball. While the Lakers were never reported to have interest in Ball this offseason, there was no denying that he would have been a great fit on this basketball team.

Finally, the Los Angeles Lakers could have kept a player in town that signed with the Chicago Bulls: Alex Caruso. Caruso is already making the Lakers look foolish for letting him walk and even if they did not go down this Chicago Bulls route they should have brought Caruso back.

So how could the Lakers have brought all of these players to LA?

DeRozan signed a three-year, $81.9 million contract with the Bulls as part of his sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs. For each player we are going to assume the contract is exactly the same. His salary this year is $27 million, which the Lakers would have had to gotten close to in salary.

San Antonio acquired Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a future first and a second-round pick for DeRozan. The Lakers could have traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a protected future first.

This is a much better package for the Spurs, who still get a future pick and get some youth in Kyle Kuzma, who Gregg Popovich is high on. They also can flip KCP to a contender at midseason.

Next up is Lonzo Ball. Ball signed a four-year, $85 million contract in a sign-and-trade. The New Orleans Pelicans essentially got nothing for Ball, so whatever the Lakers traded would have been a better deal.

The Lakers could have packaged Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder (agreeing to a $8-10 million contract) and the 22nd overall pick to New Orleans for Ball. Quite frankly, the 22nd overall pick might not have even been needed. Ball’s salary is only $18.6 million this season. Harrell and KCP would have worked.

As far as Caruso is concerned, the Lakers should have simply signed him for the same price. The team would have had to deal with the same tax implications that they would have if they signed him with Westbrook but that is a move they should have made anyway.

The combined salary of Ball and DeRozan this season is $45.6 million. Russell Westbrook is making $44.2 million. The money is virtually identical.

The Los Angeles Lakers would then have a starting five consisting of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and DeAndre Jordan with Alex Caruso’s defense off the bench. The Lakers would essentially be substituting Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic for LeBron and AD, obviously making them better.

You could also make the case that this outlook is better than having just Westbrook.

But hey, the Los Angeles Lakers have to lay in the bed that they made, even if there was better potential routes that the team could have taken.