There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers are a team that needs to make a trade sooner rather than later. They started the season 0-5, and as of right now, they are the only team in the league without any wins.
- The Bulls Are A Good Trade Partner For The Lakers
- Lakers Land 2 Much Needed Offensive Players
- Anthony Davis Comes Back To His Hometown Of Chicago
- This Trade Can Benefit Both Franchises
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One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest problems is their offense, which has obviously been subpar due to the team’s lack of 3PT shooting and overall good perimeter offensive players. Perhaps there is a trade out there that can help the team get back on top, and potentially improve the roster to being a playoff-level team.
The Bulls Are A Good Trade Partner For The Lakers
The trade scenario that we will cover in this article features the Los Angeles Lakers moving one of their primary stars, Anthony Davis, to the Chicago Bulls. In return, the Los Angeles Lakers would receive DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and draft compensation.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, First-Round Pick
Chicago Bulls Receive: Anthony Davis
This would obviously be a blockbuster trade if it ever happened, as it obviously features a lot of star movement between two big-name franchises. It’s hard to see the Los Angeles Lakers bite the bullet and actually trade Anthony Davis, but at some point, the franchise will have to make tough decisions.
Though there have been no discussions between the Lakers and the Bulls about a trade with this framework right now, there are potential benefits for both teams in this scenario. Here is why both teams should consider making this trade.
Lakers Land 2 Much Needed Offensive Players
As mentioned previously, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled badly on offense, with the team being ranked 30th in the league on offense. In theory, this trade should help the Los Angeles Lakers improve offensively, while also giving the team a draft pick that can be used in later trades.
DeMar DeRozan isn’t exactly a 3PT shooter, but he was solid enough from beyond the arc last season, averaging 35.2% from beyond the arc. Perhaps he would do better if he got more assisted shots from that area, which could happen with LeBron James getting him easy looks. But the most valuable thing about DeMar DeRozan is his ability to be a supplementary ball handler, and thrive next to other high-usage players. He is also an elite midrange scorer, which means that he would give the team another high-level shot-creator besides LeBron James.
Nikola Vucevic is obviously not the best defender, but he is a good rebounder who is also fundamentally sound on that end of the floor. The key here for the Los Angeles Lakers will be acquiring a better floor spacer, who can open up their offense. Nikola Vucevic shoots 34.7% from beyond the arc for his career, a fantastic mark for a center. He also is very skilled, having a sweet post-up game. Though he has not been efficient to start the season with the Chicago Bulls, perhaps he could improve throughout the season if traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Getting the first-round pick from the Chicago Bulls will benefit the Los Angeles Lakers, as they will be able to use it to make other moves. If the Lakers do trade for DeMar DeRozan, then it is quite likely they will want to move Russell Westbrook to get some shooters. The pick makes that endeavor easier.
One thing to note is that the Los Angeles Lakers would have to throw in another contract for this trade to work. Kendrick Nunn’s contract would fit the bill in this scenario, though Lonnie Walker could be moved instead if the team wants to wait past December 15th to do this deal.
Obviously, trading Anthony Davis isn’t an easy proposition from the Los Angeles Lakers’ perspective. He won a championship with the franchise in 2020 and is a versatile two-way big man. However, his poor availability over the last few seasons and lack of floor spacing could potentially be reasons to move him.
Like with every trade, there are pros and cons to the Los Angeles Lakers doing this deal. In this scenario, the benefits may outweigh the negatives, so we’ll see what happens in the future.
Anthony Davis Comes Back To His Hometown Of Chicago
A lot of NBA players enjoy playing for their hometown teams. After all, it must be amazing to play in front of one’s family and friends, with the hometown crowd cheering you on. With this trade, Anthony Davis would get the opportunity to do just that.
In this scenario, Anthony Davis would likely be starting at the center spot for the Chicago Bulls, due to his elite rebounding and rim protection ability. Davis is also a solid post scorer, and if his jump shot comes back, he will be one of the 15 best players in the NBA once again. On the Chicago Bulls, Davis would be able to form a fantastic one-two punch with Zach LaVine and become the veteran leader of a young squad featuring players like Ayo Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball.
This current iteration of the Chicago Bulls clearly does not have a high ceiling, and their veterans will only get older. Though questions about Anthony Davis’ availability will always be there, if he’s healthy and playing at a superstar level, the trade will be absolutely worth it from the Chicago Bulls’ perspective. There’s no questioning Anthony Davis’ talent level, and everyone knows just how good he is at his peak.
Moving DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and a first-round pick for Anthony Davis means giving up a lot of assets, and the two veterans being traded in this scenario are a big part of the core of the current Chicago Bulls. However, the goal for the Chicago Bulls is to win a championship, and Anthony Davis would further that goal due to his defensive ability and talent.
There’s no doubt that this trade would be a risk for the Chicago Bulls. However, if Anthony Davis manages to stay healthy, then this trade could end up being a huge win for the team as well. This is a gamble that the Chicago Bulls should take, and this trade, along with the development of the team’s young players, could help the Bulls become true contenders in the Eastern Conference.
This Trade Can Benefit Both Franchises
This trade has benefits for both teams involved and could end up being a win-win trade. Though we’ve mentioned the reasons, this trade could be risky for the Lakers and the Bulls, there’s a high upside for both teams with this move as well.
The Los Angeles Lakers would be able to get two solid veterans that could help shore up some of the holes in their roster and improve the team’s anemic offense. The team would also still have the draft capital to make more moves to improve the roster in the future.
For the Chicago Bulls, this is about taking a risk on a superstar big man that is a top-10 or a top-15 player when healthy. This trade could pay off immensely for the team in terms of helping them win both now and in the future, and if things break right, the Chicago Bulls could end up as an Eastern Conference contender with Anthony Davis.
It remains to be seen if the two teams will end up making a similar deal with one another in the future. Though it has likely not been discussed right now, a trade like this could help out both teams with their current situations, and perhaps we’ll hear discussions on some sort of deal between the two teams at some point before the trade deadline.
