In classic Los Angeles Lakers fashion, the purple and gold have been the most prominent team caught up in NBA trade rumors. The Lakers became the first team on every fan and pundit's mind when it was reported by Shams Charania that there was openness between the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine to eventually work out a trade.
On paper, it made a lot of sense to tie LaVine to the Lakers. He shares the distinction of being a Klutch Sports client along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Klutch has undoubtedly had an impact on the basketball decisions the Lakers have made in recent years.
Plus, this is a front office that has shown the tendency to make a three-for-one trade for a large contract. This team traded for Russell Westbrook and has the contracts to trade for LaVine if the desperation reaches that point.
Trading for LaVine would be a bad idea for multiple reasons, and thankfully, it appears that Rob Pelinka knows that. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers may be more interested in trading for DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso instead.
.@jovanbuha says the Lakers are chasing DeRozan and Caruso 👀 @_JasonLT https://t.co/K8PXlPxX5M pic.twitter.com/hE1U3mYD42
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) November 29, 2023
Lakers may look to trade for Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan
If the Bulls are going to be willing to trade LaVine at the trade deadline then the team should be open to trading DeRozan and Caruso as well. Trading LaVine would indicate that the Bulls are sellers and both DeRozan and Caruso are valuable assets to sell off.
Just like with LaVine, the Lakers have the contracts to make this trade possible and could go in a variety of different directions to pull off this trade. So what would a trade actually look like? Let's dive into what a likely DeRozan/Caruso trade package would look like, as well as hand out grades for both teams.
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What would a Lakers trade for Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan look like?