NBA Fans Call for Lakers, 76ers, Heat to Trade for Zach LaVine amid Bulls Rumors
NBA Fans Call for Lakers, 76ers, Heat to Trade for Zach LaVine amid Bulls Rumors
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Tuesday that “NBA teams are probing the availability of two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine and there’s been increased openness from the organization and player about exploring a trade, league sources said.”
It would be the latest blockbuster deal after a very busy summer and autumn in the trade department. And Shams isn’t the only one reporting that LaVine is potentially on the block:
Not surprisingly, pundits and fans alike began immediately speculating which team LaVine would end up on:
LaVine, 28, would offer contending teams seeking a third star explosive scoring potential. He isn’t having his best season, scoring 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting just 40.9 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from three.
There have long been questions about the on-court fit between LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, however, and those issues appear to finally becoming untenable in Chicago, which could be contributing to his lukewarm numbers.
The bigger issue for teams is likely the $43 million he’s owed in the 2024-25 season, $45.9 million he’ll get in the 2025-26 campaign and the $48.9 million player option he’ll almost assuredly end up exercising in the 2026-27 season. That’s huge money for a player best suited as a third option on a title-contending team.
Even from a salary matching perspective, his $40 million contract this season would require teams to get creative to bring him aboard.
The Lakers are probably the frontrunners here. The team has been a ho-hum 5-5 to start the season, likely would try to bring back Alex Caruso in a potential deal and could cobble together a package around D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, either Austin Reaves or Gabe Vincent, salary filler and draft considerations.
Add in the fact that the Lakers are perpetual star hunters and don’t appear to be in the same league as the top contenders in the NBA, as currently constructed, and it’s easy to see them making this kind of splashy move.
