New Report on Potential Zach LaVine to Lakers Trade

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The Chicago Bulls have been competitive in the Eastern Conference this season, currently sitting in ninth place which is good for a Play-In Tournament spot. While Chicago’s 12-15 record is enough to currently remain in the postseason mix, it’s unlikely that’s the organization’s true goal this season.
Expected to lean further into a rebuild at the trade deadline, the Bulls will likely explore ways to deal players like Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and others. It remains to be seen what teams will be buyers at the deadline, but the Los Angeles Lakers are often named as a suitor for Chicago’s available stars.

While Los Angeles would make sense as a landing spot for a player like LaVine, a recent report revealed the latest on the chances of that happening.
Via Jovan Buha of The Athletic: “Other names that have come up in talks with team and league personnel over the past few weeks include Utah’s Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton, Toronto’s Bruce Brown Jr., Portland’s Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III and Washington’s Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers are not anticipated to be heavily in the mix for Miami’s Jimmy Butler, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram or Chicago’s Zach LaVine.”
New for @TheAthletic: Lakers trade season primer:
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 17, 2024
-- Are the Lakers likely to make a move?
-- Who are realistic player archetypes and trade targets?
-- Are any players untouchable?
-- What will teams want from the Lakers?
That and more in here: https://t.co/5JCZZx9HSo
LaVine's market likely remains challenging for Chicago due to his contract and injury history, and this latest report seemingly eliminates the Lakers as an option.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.