Do the Los Angeles Lakers need a third superstar to help them contend for a title this coming season? They are currently heading into the new season with pretty much the same core that turned their season around after the trade deadline and it is clear that the front office has a lot of trust in LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Co.
However, James Piercey of NBA Analysis Network has submitted a massive trade proposal for the Lakers that will see them form a Big 3 with another bona fide superstar.
Lakers Send D’Angelo Russell to Bulls for Zach LaVine
The Lakers just renewed D’Angelo Russell’s deal this summer so they won’t be able to trade him right now. However, they could opt to move him sometime before the trade deadline in exchange for a superstar that could just be what takes the Lakers over the top in 2023-24.
Here is the proposed deal:
Chicago Bulls Receive: G D’Angelo Russell, F Rui Hachimura, F/C Jaxson Hayes, 2028 First-Round Pick (Swap – LAL), 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G/F Zach LaVine
Austin Reaves has been a revelation for the Lakers, but he’s no superstar. Zach LaVine, however, is a player that fits into this mold. He gives LA an elite third option behind LeBron and Anthony Davis, forming what could be one of the most fearsome Big 3s in the entire NBA.
It’s a big risk, no doubt, but given how LeBron’s championship window is quickly closing, the Lakers might have no other choice but to take another massive gamble especially if things aren’t looking so good for LA during the first half of the new season.
Bulls Get a New-Look Squad Primed for the Future
As mentioned earlier, the Bulls will have to wait until the mid-point of the season before they’re able to do this deal. This would give them half a year to see how D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes would look alongside DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.
If that group does not live up to their potential, then Chicago would have the option to blow everything up next summer. Russell is young enough to still be a cornerstone piece, but he could be a valuable trade piece as well if the Bulls opt to embrace a full rebuild (assuming they will also trade DeRozan and Vucevic). Hachimura and Hayes are two young players who can be part of their young core with Patrick Williams and Coby White. The two future first-round picks they get out of the LaVine trade will also be key in their rebuilding process.
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