Any optimism that was felt around the Los Angeles Lakers has since subsided over the last week. The team was finally starting to gain some momentum in a wide-open Western Conference only for Anthony Davis to hurt his foot, leading to an extended absence.
The air was completely let out of the balloon on Monday when LeBron James and Russell Westbrook sat against the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers got pummelled as a result. If there was ever a team that needed a miracle, it is the Los Angeles Lakers.
As we are reminded every few months, the NBA is the most unpredictable league in American sports and things can change quickly. All it takes is one situation blowing up and Los Angeles could get this saving grace that they so desperately need.
We may already know what that saving grace is and it is in the form of the Chicago Bulls. Shams Charania of The Athletic dropped an uncomfortable report for Bulls fans on Tuesday, stating that Zach LaVine and Chicago are not seeing eye to eye. LaVine and DeMar DeRozan reportedly had to have a one-on-one sit down as a result.
Multiple league sources and sources close to the Bulls organization say Zach LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/mG4hPr1PrT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 20, 2022
Zach LaVine may not be a legitimate trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There have been building theories around a potential trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls for weeks. Most of which included DeMar DeRozan but we could potentially see LaVine be the one that is dealt.
If things get tumultuous it would benefit Chicago to part ways with LaVine. He has four more years under contract on his max deal and with the team struggling, it would probably be better to hit the reset button as far as LaVine is concerned.
Los Angeles could make a LaVine trade happen by giving Chicago an expiring contract (Russell Westbrook) as well as two future unprotected first-round picks. Because LaVine is expensive and is under contract for several years, there are not many fits for him on the trade market.
As a result, this Westbrook trade is probably the best-case scenario for the Bulls and should be a trade that they are pushing to make. This is not a case of whether or not the Lakers have enough. It boils down to whether or not the situation reaches a breaking point and if Jeanie Buss is willing to shell over the money to pay LaVine past this season.
That is ultimately the biggest hurdle with this. Reports may say that Los Angeles would trade both picks for an all-star in return (which LaVine is), but Buss could take one look at the tax implications down the line of bringing in LaVine and ax the deal before it gets off the ground floor.
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But if the multi-billion dollar sports franchise is willing to spend to capitalize on this current title window then a LaVine trade could make a lot of sense for all parties involved.