REPORT: Lakers' Trade Talks for UCLA Legend Now 'In the Garbage'

The Chicago Bulls are having a very difficult time finding a trade for Zach LaVine.

The Bulls have been attempting to rehome LaVine since last year, but a midseason foot injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign forced Chicago to punt.

Now, the Bulls have just a few weeks left to move the former UCLA Bruins star before the NBA trade deadline, and things are not coming up rosy in the Windy City.

Recently, it actually appeared as if LaVine's trade market was becoming a bit more robust, but thanks to his fat contract, things have gotten sticky.

The Los Angeles Lakers were previously rumored as a potential destination for LaVine, but apparently, that is no longer a possibility.

Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times has revealed that the Lakers' decision to trade D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith has all but wrecked the team's chances of acquiring LaVine.

"A source also said that there was early-season talk about LaVine and the Lakers, but the puzzle didn’t have the right pieces at the time," Cowley reported. "With Los Angeles moving the D’Angelo Russell contract a few weeks ago for Dorian Finney-Smith, the puzzle was all but thrown in the garbage."

Russell's deal would have been needed in order to match LaVine's hefty $43-million salary this season. As you can see, it will be an arduous task for the Bulls to find a package with matching salaries that also satisfies their desires as far as assets.

LaVine is under team control through next season, when he is slated to earn a tick under $46 million. He also has a player option in the neighborhood of $50 million for the 2026-27 campaign.

Given the 29-year-old's production, you wouldn't think his contract would be an issue, but the problem isn't LaVine's output; it's his durability.

The UCLA product has played in 70 games just once since the 2016-17 campaign due to rampant injury troubles, most of which have involved his knees.

Any team trading for LaVine would be doing so with the understanding that his checkered medical history could ultimately derail what should be a significant acquisition.

Hence, Chicago may end up stuck with LaVine when the Feb. 6 deadline concludes.

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