The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be one of the few teams that will aggressively pursue many of the top players on the trading block.
The Lakers have less than two months to complete a deal or two, and many expect that to happen. The question is whether Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka will have the stones to pull the trigger. The options are there for L.A., but it's easier said than done.
Completing a trade in today's NBA is not as easy as it was before. The Lakers are in a tough position regarding whether to go all in on a win-now move or hold out as LeBron James enters the final years of his career.
L.A. is in a tough spot, but this trade proposal helps them compete now while also, if possible, acquiring pieces to flip later in the future.
Lakers receive: Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vučević
Bulls receive: D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, protections off a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2025 second-round draft pick
The Lakers acquire their old friend Lonzo Ball, while also acquiring a solid big with some scoring punch in Nikola Vučević.
Ball was a Laker for the first two years of his career and was solid before L.A. dealt him to New Orleans for their current superstar Anthony Davis. Ball, born and raised in Southern California, was supposed to be the next in line as the great Lakers point guard, but, L.A. got rid of him on a win-now trade for Davis.
While it worked out as L.A. captured a title, the Lakers have made questionable moves since then. This trade helps the Lakers get a solid point guard, albeit with a serious injury history.
Ball has only played 10 games in the last three seasons due to multiple knee surgeries in his left knee. It is a big risk for L.A., but as we've seen in the past, he and James work great together.
Vučević is the cherry on top of this proposed deal. Although he is 34 years old, he can still score with the best of them, averaging 21.1 points on 58 percent shooting from the field, 9.6 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 26 games this season.
Vučević will be a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, his age 35 season.
The Bulls acquire three players who have been on the trading block for a while in L.A., including two players who will be free agents at the end of this year, and draft capital, which they desperately need.