With the trade deadline quickly approaching and rumors circulating about the Lakers’ interest in Zach LaVine, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers might be among the numerous teams looking to acquire LaVine. Since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament, Los Angeles has been on a losing streak, losing four of their previous five games.
The оffensive is where the team’s obvious flaws lie. The Lakers rank 25th in 3-point efficiency at 34.7% and 28th in 3-pointers made at 10.8%. They make matters worse by allowing 37.6% shooting and 14.1 3-pointers per game, which ranks them fifth and tenth, respectively, in the league.
The defense of the Lakers is promising. They could find out shortly. But the offence might use a boost, and signing Zach LaVine could provide just that. If a trade involving LaVine is successful, the Lakers might be willing to trade starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, claims Lakers beаt writer Jovan Buha.
“For LaVine specifically, I think the Lakers would consider a D’Angelo Russell-centric deal, but I don’t think they’d throw in much more than a combination of salary filler (Rui Hachimura and/or Gabe Vincent), a young prоspect (Max Christie or Jalen Hood-Schifino) and a protected pick (2029 or 2030 first rounder),” wrote Buha.
When the 2023 trade deadline rolled around, Russell was back with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he was a key cog in their comeback. With Russell at the helm, the Lakers improved their standing in the Western Conference from thirteenth to seventh, advanced to the playoffs, and eventually reached the conference finals.
After being selected in the lottery by the Lakers, the player has played in 26 games this season, averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 assists while shooting 47/39/77. Russell has been on a hоt streak, but the statistics still seem good. He has had both highs and lows throughout his career. Even without him, the Lakers have enough players who can handle the ball.
The Zach LaVine-less Los Angeles Lakers lose despite D’Angelo Russell’s best efforts. The Bulls of Chicago
The 124-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls by the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday can intensify the trade rumors involving D’Angelo Russell and Zach LaVine in the city. Russell shot only 1-for-6 from the field and finished with a season-low 2 assists and 2 points. His four 3-point attempts were all missed.
Russell has now gone eight games without scoring in double digits. There were three games in which the Lakers were the losing team. Coming into this season, his lack of aggression was a concern. Russell missed multiple scoring opportunities in favorable situations because he settled for jump shots and was unsure of what to do when attacking in transition.
Despite the recent improvement from Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers have still failed to meet expectations. They should go for Zach LaVine since he is a credible and trustworthy option. Through 18 games played, the Bulls forward has averaged 21.0 points per game. His ιnjury will keep him out for a few weeks at least.