The introduction of the second apron has forever altered the modern NBA. Teams now operate in fear of the consequences of facing penalties that would set their respective franchises back for financial irresponsibility that was previously possible to somewhat easily overcome.
No player projects to face the backlash of that reality quite like Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine—a long-rumored Los Angeles Lakers trade target.
LaVine is in the midst of a tremendous 2024-25 season, performing at a level that could result in a third career All-Star selection. He's shooting the lights out, creating for himself and others, and giving the Bulls an unexpected chance to make the playoffs.
With this in mind, there's ample reason to believe the Lakers would benefit from adding LaVine to their roster ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The hurdle, however, is the simple fact that LaVine has three years and $137,998,980 remaining on his contract. That monumental figure has inevitably inspired doubt, as teams would need to part with a considerable number of assets to acquire him.
For the Lakers in specific, it would come down to a simple decision: Are they willing to bet on Anthony Davis and LaVine as their superstar duo moving forward—and do they feel Austin Reaves fits into the equation?
Lakers would need to decide between Zach LaVine and Austin Reaves
On the offensive end of the floor, LaVine and Reaves project to be one of the most dynamic backcourt duos in the NBA. LaVine is an elite three-point shooter who can play both with and without the ball, while Reaves is more than adequate off the rock and dynamic with it.
From that perspective, the Lakers have every reason to believe they could build something promising with Davis dominating the interior and LaVine and Reaves working the perimeter.
The downside, however, is the reason Rob Pelinka would likely need to choose between LaVine and Reaves: Defensive inconsistency. To put it simply, neither player is known for providing positive results on that end of the floor.
As such, a trade for LaVine would result in Los Angeles having two high-level offensive players in the backcourt who would simultaneously hemorrhage points on defense.
Even with the defensive issues, LaVine's production in 2024-25 admittedly calls for intrigue. Thus far, he's averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 3.3 three-point field goals made while posting an absurdly efficient slash line of .517/.450/.818.
The question facing the Lakers is thus as simple as it is complex: Is LaVine truly worth $96,186,258 more than Reaves? That's the difference in their contracts over the next three years, which must be considered in any potential deal.
LaVine is certainly more accomplished than Reaves, and even has him in scoring and shooting efficiency, but determining the context of that number will be the ultimate decider.