Lakers Reportedly 'Showing' Interest in Trading For Multi-Time $60M All-Star

The Los Angeles Lakers are in need of an injection of life. They have lost four of their last five games and sit at just tenth in the standings in the Western Conference. If they aren't careful, they could find themselves out of the play-in game soon. They need someone who can stop them from sliding.

It doesn't look like LeBron James is going to be that person right now. It doesn't look like he's going to be back with the team in the immediate future. That leaves the Lakers in a pickle because their roster still has talent problems even when he is with the team.

One avenue to fix things even before James returns to the Lakers is to make a trade. They aren't afraid to make moves and they finally are able to trade a first-round pick this season after the disastrous Russell Westbrook trade took away one of their picks.

One player that seems to be on the Lakers' radar is Bulls All-Star center Nikola Vucevic. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Los Angeles has indicated their interest in the big man. That could add some much-needed scoring to a Lakers team that has struggled in that department.

Vucevic is having an excellent season in Chicago. He's averaging 21 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on a whopping 58.7% from the field. He's also shooting an incredible 47.4% from beyond the arc. His inside-out game is exactly what this Lakers team needs.

Adding Vucevic would move Anthony Davis back to the power forward spot, a position he has preferred to play in for most of his career. It would also provide some depth if Davis were to go down with an injury, which has happened multiple times in his career.

In order to acquire Vucevic, the Lakers would have to send the Bulls some solid assets. D'Angelo Russell sits there as a trade piece that they would want to get rid of. It would likely take the Lakers attaching their first-round pick either in 2026 or 2029.

There's a chance that the Bulls will ask for even more with how well Vucevic is playing. If the Lakers are serious about their pursuit of him, they should give the Bulls whatever they want. The title window is shrinking with every year that LeBron gets older.

Vucevic would be protected on defense by Davis and could really help the ball movement in a stagnant half-court offense that the Lakers use.

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