The Lakers are being heavily linked with Zach LaVine, with most people expecting the former two-time All-Star to end up in a Laker jersey by February. The Lakers have reportedly been looking for another star, and they have players like Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell on trade-friendly contracts. Gilbert Arenas believed the Lakers should offer Reaves to Chicago before Russell.
“I like AR, but for Zach, I’ll give up Lemon Daddy for Zach because, at the end of the day, I still have D’Lo being D’Lo with Zach and Bron and AD… I wanna keep DLo because I don’t know if AR is aggressive enough to be the point guard. Also, why would they need D’Lo over in Chicago?”
Gilbert Arenas says the Lakers should trade Austin Reaves over D’Angelo Russell in a potential Zach LaVine trade 👀 pic.twitter.com/0RfKaa9knm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 20, 2023
Many will consider this a hot take, but I think I agree with Arenas. Ideally, you keep faith in your well-built roster. But if we see it’s not well-built and needs to be changed by February, the Lakers should move Reaves to Chicago before Russell. If this is a win-now group, Russell’s point guard play will be crucial, especially with him averaging 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists to start the season.
Reaves has already fallen to being a sixth man, with Darvin Ham electing to play Cam Reddish for his defense over him. Reaves is averaging 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and has had a slow start to the season. He’d be the more attractive trade chip for the Bulls as well, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers manage this situation if they’re genuinely interested in LaVine,
Who Will The Lakers Have To Give Up For Zach LaVine?
There are so many ways for the Lakers and the Bulls to agree upon a trade, but nothing can happen before January. Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves are not trade-eligible after signing extensions this summer, so the Lakers have time to evaluate their roster more. But from a salary perspective, the Lakers have to give up three players to be able to afford LaVine.
If the Lakers want to completely shake their roster up, they could trade all three aforementioned players to also get the Bulls to give up Alex Caruso for a steady guard who knows how to play with LeBron. This would also open up guard minutes for rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino and could be an option the Lakers explore. However, it doesn’t look like the Lakers can win a bidding war over Caruso if he hits the open market.
I would prefer the Lakers keep the combo guard ability of D’Angelo Russell, especially with the playmaking improvements he’s shown this season. But my money is on the likelier outcome which sees the Lakers protect Reaves for being slightly younger and a better theoretical fit next to LeBron with his off-ball scoring ability.
The Lakers could replace Russell by throwing LeBron at a point or reintroducing Reaves into the starting lineup as the point guard, though James continues to be the primary playmaker., similar to what Draymond Green does for Golden State. There are ways the Lakers can make this work for sure. Whether they make the plunge is something we’ll have to wait and see.
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