NBA executive: Lakers should trade Zach LaVine to team up with LeBron and Anthony Davis | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

An executive for a Western Conference team believes the Los Angeles Lakers should rekindle their interest in Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine, according to the Los Angeles Times‘Then Woike.

“This was the gist of the pitch: LaVine could be acquired by simply matching the money he’s owed, allowing the Bulls to get out of a contract that likely runs through 2027 and costs the team $138 million,” Woike wrote. “That would allow the Lakers to retain their draft assets for a future deal or the inevitable rebuild.”

However, Woike threw cold water on the idea, reporting that “the Lakers management has never shown any real interest in LaVine, as far as I can tell.”

In May, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported on his podcast that LaVine was “intrigued” by the idea of ​​donning the purple and gold midway through the 2023-24 season. However, he added that the Lakers were turning their attention to other targets ahead of the February trade deadline and looking ahead to the offseason.

Across the board, there appears to be no trade market for LaVine. NBA insider Marc Stein reported in July that the Bulls “have resigned themselves to the fact that they’ll likely be forced to start the new season with LaVine on the roster and take it a step further by trying to help him rebuild some trade value after months of fruitless attempts to find a new home via trade — and after a foot injury and eventual surgery limited the 29-year-old to 25 games last season.”

The discourse surrounding the 6-foot-3 guard somewhat ignores the fact that he is a two-time All-Star, averaged 24.2 points and made 38.3 percent of his three-pointers in his seven seasons with Chicago.

However, he had to undergo foot surgery last year that kept him out of the season, raising concerns about his long-term durability. Plus, the three years remaining on his $215.2 million contract extension are a bitter pill for any team to swallow.

As a theoretical concept, LaVine would be a great secondary scorer to beat LeBron James and Anthony Davis if he were back to his prime. That version may be gone for good, though, and he was a poor defender at best.

It’s hard to imagine LaVine can make much of a difference for Los Angeles unless there’s a major turnaround early in the 2024-25 season.