The mutual interest between Chicago Bulls wingman Zach LaVine and the Los Angeles Lakers has long been rumored, but a deal has yet to come to fruition. However, with both teams struggling this season and the Lakers looking for additional firepower alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, now may be the perfect time for a trade.
In this three-team trade concocted by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, the Bulls would give up LaVine and Andre Drummond and, in return, would receive D’Angelo Russell, Davis Bertans, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and three draft picks from both the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The writing has been splattered on the wall for a while, but the Bulls’ front office has blatantly ignored it. Perhaps this remarkable stat would jar them awake: the Bulls “Big 3” of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic have played together for more than 3,000 minutes. In that span, Chicago is minus-2.8 points per 100 possessions. That is simply not good enough for a team with playoff aspirations.
“When you consider the fact that those three are 28, 34, and 33, respectively, it’s hard to deny that it’s time for a fresh start. This deal at least turns them in that direction. Separate trades to bring in additional assets or young players for DeRozan and Vucevic would help too,” Bailey wrote.
