![\"D'Angelo](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-2175104213-e1730755455497.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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If the Los Angeles Lakers make a move, Chicago Bulls\u2018 resurgent star Zach LaVine should be their \u201cdream target,\u201d Bleacher Report\u2019s Zach Buckley wrote.<\/p>\n
Buckley reasoned LaVine\u2019s \u201cdynamic game and dangerous shooting could haul L.A.\u2019s attack to an even higher level.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lakers already have the fifth-ranked offense at 116.8 points per 100 possessions after November 3 games, buoyed by Redick\u2019s complex and intentional offense built around Anthony Davis\u2018 MVP-caliber play.<\/p>\n
But LaVine, according to Buckley, would be an upgrade from\u00a0D\u2019Angelo Russell, who is struggling under Redick\u2019s system.<\/p>\n
Russell is only averaging 12.2 points on 40.3% overall shooting and a paltry 29.4% 3-point shooting. He showed signs of life when he dropped 19 points on 50% 3-point shooting and six assists in their 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors on November 1.<\/p>\n
In contrast, LaVine has regained his form that made him a two-time NBA All-Star. He has scored 20 or more points in six of the Bulls\u2019 first seven games.<\/p>\n
LaVine is averaging 22.7 points on 49.5% overall shooting and a terrific 45.8% clip from the 3-point line.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween\u00a0LeBron James,\u00a0a more involved Anthony Davis and\u00a0Austin Reaves, the Lakers would still have more than enough playmaking,\u201d Buckley wrote. \u201cLaVine was the\u00a0only player in the league to average over 24.0 points per game and make more than 38.0 percent of his threes across at least 250 games from 2019-20 to 2022-23.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n LaVine has three years and $138 million remaining in his\u00a0five-year $215 million contract\u00a0with a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n Trade talks between the Bulls and the Lakers for LaVine are likely to resume again, Clutchpoint\u2019s Anthony Irwin reported on Thursday, October 17.<\/p>\n \u201cOne name league sources say to keep an eye on is Zach LaVine, who has played well in preseason in his return from foot surgery,\u201d\u00a0Irwin wrote.\u00a0\u201cChicago and the Lakers held trade talks last season and briefly over the summer, and sources say those talks will almost assuredly pick up back this year with LaVine looking healthy again.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the Lakers are over the first apron, they cannot take back more salary in a trade than it sends out.<\/p>\n To get to LaVine\u2019s $43 million salary for this season, it would cost the Lakers three of their rotation players \u2014\u00a0D\u2019Angelo Russell,\u00a0Rui Hachimura\u00a0and either\u00a0Jarred Vanderbilt\u00a0or\u00a0Gabe Vincent,\u00a0Los Angeles Times\u2019 Dan Woike wrote in September.<\/p>\n A 3-for-1 trade will also open up two roster spots for the Lakers, who still have the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception.<\/p>\n When the Lakers mulled their options at the February trade deadline, a LaVine trade had James\u2019 backing at that time, according to The Athletic.<\/p>\n \u201cJames was also in support of the Lakers trading for Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine \u2014 two Klutch Sports clients \u2014 in the weeks and months leading into the 2024 trade deadline, according to those sources,\u201d\u00a0Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha reported on February 14.<\/p>\n Murray was ultimately traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, LaVine\u2019s injury-riddled season saw his trade value drastically drop. The Bulls desperately looked to unload him, but there were no takers.<\/p>\n And despite James\u2019 interest in having LaVine as a teammate, the Lakers stood pat and did not make a move this offseason.<\/p>\n Now that LaVine is showing no ill effects of his last knee injury, will the Lakers make the move?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If the Los Angeles Lakers make a move, Chicago Bulls\u2018 resurgent star Zach LaVine should be their \u201cdream target,\u201d Bleacher Report\u2019s Zach Buckley wrote. Buckley reasoned LaVine\u2019s… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\nLakers Eye Bull Star: Report<\/h2>\n
\nZach LaVine Trade Had LeBron James\u2019 Support<\/h2>\n