Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine is considered the Los Angeles Lakers‘ “dream offseason trade target.” In a May 10 story called “Every NBA Team’s Dream Offseason Trade Target,” Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed LaVine as the player the Lakers should target this summer.
The idea for the Lakers would be to add LaVine as a reliable third-scoring option to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With being limited in being able to re-sign Austin Reaves in free agency, perhaps that is worth taking into consideration.
“It’s possible the Los Angeles Lakers feel good enough about their post-trade-deadline turnaround to dismiss the idea of making radical changes to their roster,” Buckley wrote. “Then again, their nightly scramble for offensive production this postseason (10th in efficiency) could nudge them toward finding a much more reliable third option with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Zach LaVine could handle that role—if not exceed it.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The particular methods which LaVine can produce could be incredibly impactful for the Lakers as one of the higher-volume 3-point shooters in the NBA. He can get to the knockdown pull-up 3s or catch-and-shoot at a high clip and use his explosiveness to get to the rim.
“The UCLA product is among the Association’s most dynamic offensive weapons. He can launch from anywhere, create shots for himself and his teammates and ferociously finish at the basket,” Buckley wrote. “He is also increasingly well-versed in the art of sharing the floor with other high-volume offensive contributors, like DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Part of LaVine’s appeal as a trade target for a contending team is that he has optimized his scoring profile and cut down on turnovers throughout his NBA career as a highly efficient scorer that can create with the ball or play off-the-ball.
“LaVine has leaned on that support to become more selective, yielding both efficient scoring (48.5/37.5/84.8 shooting) and fewer giveaways (2.5 turnovers, fewest since 2017-18),” Buckley wrote. “And since that trio hasn’t done a lot of winning, the Chicago Bulls could be more open to change than they’ll publicly admit.”
LaVine has the same agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group) as Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so he’s been heavily linked to the purple and gold. The UCLA product told TMZ Sports in May 2022 that he’s always been a big fan of the Lakers.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
For the Bulls this season, LaVine averaged 24.8 points while shooting 48.5% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free-throw line. Chicago missed the playoffs this year, so the franchise could embark on a rebuild this offseason. LaVine signed a five-year, $215.2 million deal with the Bulls in July 2022. He will make $40.1 million next season.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
