The Grade
The positive here is that the Los Angeles Lakers have hypothetically acquired Zach LaVine without having to give up any first-round draft picks. It's also worth noting that losing Austin Reaves stings, but the entire purpose of the deal is effectively to upgrade at his position.
With Reaves acknowledged as a necessary inclusion, the question is simple: Is LaVine worth more than Reaves, let alone Reaves plus Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt?
By giving up that trio, the Lakers are effectively punting their depth chart in favor of a top-heavy attack. If a trade isn't made, then one of Hachimura or Vanderbilt will start for the Lakers this season, with the other playing significant minutes off the bench.
As such, the Lakers would be gambling on LaVine having more value than two starters and the likely sixth man—and that's a tough sell.
When healthy, LaVine is an explosive athlete with an elite jump shot and the ability to score roughly 25 points per game. That alone is reason to be optimistic about how he could make the game easier for Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who averaged a combined 50.4 points per game in 2023-24.
For as intriguing as having a trio that could score between 70 and 80 points on any given day is, the context is simple: LaVine has far too extensive an injury history to make this trade.
It's a genuinely interesting approach from Grant Hughes, with no outgoing draft picks, but the cons far outweigh the pros in this scenario. Los Angeles would be giving up three crucial players for one upside play that depends entirely on history not repeating itself.
For context: LaVine missed 57 games in 2023-24, 58 in 2017-18, and 35 in 2016-17—marking three seasons in which major injuries greatly impacted his availability.
Yes, he appeared in 77 in 2022-23 and 67 in 2021-22, but he'll turn 30 during the 2024-25 regular season. Historically speaking, players with an extensive injury history don't suddenly remain healthy once they reach 30—making a trade that requires four outgoing players even more difficult to justify.
Throw in the fact that LaVine's salary would have the Lakers flirting with the second apron every season, no matter who else is on the roster, and this is too much of a gamble.
It's a genuinely unique and interesting approach to the trade, but giving up two starters and the sixth man for an injury-prone LaVine as he enters his age-30 season would be too risky to agree upon.