The Los Angeles Lakers have a ton of decisions to make at the deadline. If they want to prioritize their long-term outlook with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way, they shouldn’t be rash. But at the same time, with the expiring contracts they have on their books, it would be foolish not to look at potential moves this season.
With the trade deadline being less than two weeks away, the Lakers should be on high alert. But despite there being plenty of potential moves to be made with various teams around the league, there is one that stands out among the rest as an ideal trade partner: The Chicago Bulls.
LA should be calling Chicago every single day from now until the deadline.
Lakers should want to make a trade with the Bulls
The Bulls have a ton of pieces that the Lakers should be desperate to get their hands on. And with how the expiring contracts LA has (Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber), there’s a fairly easy pathway for a trade to be made.
Obviously, almost any trade the Lakers would make with the Bulls would have to include some sort of draft capital, but the assets LA has to give are worth it.
Ayo Dosunmu may be the best possible trade candidate on the entire Bulls roster. His 3-and-D abilities at the guard position would be a perfect fit next to Doncic and Reaves, and he could spend some time at the three, too.
LA should constantly be looking to add plus defenders to their lineup, and even though they would have to pay Dosunmu this summer, it would be worth it.
Coby White is another very intriguing name, though his skill set may be too similar to Reaves’. That said, talent is talent, and the Lakers could go after him if they wanted to.
Nikola Vucevic would be another intriguing guy for the Lakers to pursue. He would give them a much different look at the center position than Deandre Ayton.
Vucevic’s three-point shooting and ability to rebound the ball would both be valuable in the Lakers’ rotation, but like Dosunmu, LA would have to pay him this summer.
Jalen Smith and Isaac Okoro are two decent trade candidates, too. Smith is a versatile big man who can shoot the ball, and Okoro is a quality defender at the forward spot.
The point is, Chicago’s roster is littered with guys who should interest the Lakers, and they should absolutely be calling the Bulls’ phone line multiple times over the course of the next week.