You don't have to scroll Los Angeles Lakers Twitter for very long to find fans…fantasizing (sorry) about the possibility of current Chicago Bulls star and impending free agent Zach LaVine ending up in purple-and-gold.
LaVine-to-L.A. vibes are in the air. On Tuesday, TMZ released a video capturing the two-time All-Star and UCLA alum saying he's “always been a big fan” of the Lakers. LaVar Ball (known for speaking NBA developments into existence) said LaVine wants to go to Los Angeles. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that LaVine, a Klutch client, is unlikely to re-sign in Chicago.
As farfetched as it sounds considering the Lakers' financial inflexibility and dearth of trade assets, Bleacher Report's cap whiz Eric Pincus recently humored Lakers fans by laying out how LaVine could conceivably wind up in Los Angeles. With the rumors abuzz, let's parse through it.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LkPmnLI6ocyR5HfvBHxid?si=379a304102734b04
Signing LaVine outright in free agency ain't happening. LaVine is set to earn approximately $37 million annually. As Pincus notes, even if the Lakers shed everybody on the roster besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis — which would require trading Russell Westbrook ($47 million in 2022-23), Talen Horton-Tucker ($10.3 million), and Kendrick Nunn ($5.3 million) without bringing back any salary — they would be left with $30 million in cap space for the rest of the roster.
So, the Lakers would have to orchestrate the ol' sign-and-trade. Acquiring a player via S&T hard caps a team's spending limit. For 2022-23, the hard cap is projected to land at $156 million(ish). LeBron ($44 million next year), AD ($38 million), and LaVine ($37 million) alone would leave Los Angeles with only $37 million left.
That's just the money. Manifesting a feasible trade is much trickier and would require the inclusion of at least one other franchise.
First off, the Lakers can't swap Russ (and let's say two firsts) for LaVine. As Pincus points out, LaVine's salary figure in the deal would be his 2021-22 money ($19.5 million) — well short of the $37 million that would be required to legalize the trade, per CBA stipulations.
There are elaborate scenarios involving salary-dumping Westbrook to the Oklahoma City Thunder (for Derrick Favors and Mike Muscala) or another team with cap space and creating massive trade exceptions (you can read Pincus' column for those). But, the most logical three-teamers might involve the Bulls, Lakers, and either the Indiana Pacers or Detroit Pistons.
Hypothetically, the Lakers could send Russ to Detroit as Jerami Grant goes to Chicago and LaVine to Los Angeles. Or, the Lakers could persuade Indiana to take the final year of Westbrook's contract and send Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield to Chicago while LaVine heads west. In either case, the Lakers would need to send out at least one first-rounder, likely two, and possibly Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn (Austin Reaves?) to sweeten pots. (The Lakers are reportedly unwilling to attach a first to trade Russ, but that could change if LaVine was in play.)
Finally, Pincus identifies the Orlando Magic as a possible partner for Los Angeles. The Magic (owners of the No. 1 overall pick) could waive Jonathan Isaac, S&T Mo Bamba (or let him walk), and look to trade Terrence Ross — thereby clearing the requisite cap space to absorb Westbrook. The Lakers could nab LaVine, send Westbrook and a first to Orlando, and hope Chicago is willing to take back THT, Ross, and a first. Something along those lines.
For the Lakers, landing LaVine — even at the cost of a hard cap, picks, and young pieces — would be a home run. Unlike Westbrook, he's a true third star just entering his prime (he's 27), and his athleticism and shooting range should make him a lethal fit alongside LeBron and AD.
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