Should the Los Angeles Lakers Trade for Nikola Vucevic?

As the Los Angeles Lakers look to begin building a roster around former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić, their biggest need is as glaring as it gets.

After trading Anthony Davis to acquire Dončić, Los Angeles' center depth took a large hit. Jaxson Hayes became its starting big, and while that proved serviceable for his point guard's unnatural creation ability, it wasn't ever going to be enough to make the Lakers contenders. Losing in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves was proof of that.

Mar 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) reacts after scoring a basket against the New York Knicks during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James has, at best, a couple of seasons remaining to play at an All-NBA level. In those two seasons, the Lakers will be competitive because of him, Dončić, and either Austin Reaves or a player he'd command in a trade. But the missing piece is still easily identifiable: Los Angeles needs a center.

The Chicago Bulls could have an answer to that problem.

Last season, the Bulls leaned on Nikola Vučević to anchor the glass, and he delivered. The veteran center finished top-10 in the NBA in rebounds per game, averaged a double-double for the eighth straight year and posted the fourth-highest scoring mark of his career.

Nikola Vucevic said he's proud of rebounding from sub-par shooting season (he shot a career-high 53% FG and 40.2% 3PT this season) and fitting in with young group, faster offensive pace.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 17, 2025

As strong as he was offensively, however, Vučević's defense didn't meet the bar. And for the Lakers, who finished in the latter half of the league with a 113.7 defensive rating — it decreased to 116.7 in the playoffs, which put them in the bottom five teams — such a skill would be wildly attractive.

The Lakers, to this point, are used to having a strong defensive anchor next to James, which Davis provided for their 2020 championship and the years that followed, but if they were to explore a deal with the Bulls, they'd be relinquishing that part of their identity.

Adding Vučević would provide a rim-hounding presence that was completely absent for the second half of Los Angeles' season, but defense, which is already lacking with Dončić, would quickly become the biggest weakness for a team looking to compete annually in the Western Conference.

Still, the idea is out there. The Lakers would improve from their current state, but not necessarily enough to get them to where they want to be. The silver lining? Vučević understands the mission.

But he's still grappling with his own future. And the Bulls aren't eagerly looking to deal him, especially with another $20 million contract for him guaranteed for next season.

"I'm at a stage in my career where I'm trying to win now," the center said during his exit interview with the Bulls. "I believe that there are pieces here that we can build upon ... but it all depends on what their timeline is."

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