LeBron James replacements the Lakers could trade for:
Zach LaVine
LaVine has been involved in constant trade chatter over the course of the last few seasons. With his prime years in full effect, any team would more than welcome the explosive, three-level scorer on board.
If the Bulls’ seemingly lifelong level of mediocrity wanes on into this season (it will), they will definitely look to launch a full-scale rebuild (something they should have already initiated). And with LaVine’s ties to Los Angeles (attended UCLA), do not be surprised when the Lakers come up as a potential destination. The Lakers could do a lot worse than building around an Anthony Davis-Zach LaVine-Austin Reaves trio.
Donovan Mitchell
Hold your horses, this is just a potential option. While it may be the most unrealistic of the bunch, Donovan Mitchell’s situation in Cleveland is something to keep your binoculars on. He is almost certainly holding off on any type of extension in the event that he earns any lucrative All-NBA-type accolades (which would increase what the Cavs can offer him).
However, Cleveland should not rest until that pen hits the paper. We have already witnessed the man whom this article is centered around relocating from Cleveland to Los Angeles, and you would be hard-pressed to find any individual who would rather reside in Cleveland than Los Angeles if presented with the opportunity.
Trae Young
Young and Lavine have previously been linked to Los Angeles, and both of them would seem to make sense as potential trade targets given their current situations. In the case of Ice Trae, Atlanta has been a middle-of-the-pack team since the team infamously traded the rights to Luka Doncic for him. Through it all, Young has been among the NBA’s top floor generals. Furthermore, he has always displayed a fearless spirit on the court that any head coach should be seeking when searching for their on-court extension.
A Trae and AD pick-and-roll combination could be lethal, basically putting defenders in a process of constant pick-your-poison. Even further, AD’s defensive dominance could work wonders in masking Young’s shortcomings on the less glamorous end.