Ever since Zach LaVine hit the trade block, the team he has been linked to most frequently by far has been the Los Angeles Lakers. It's a sensible fit. After all, LaVine played collegiately at UCLA. More so, he'd fill a real need for them as a secondary scorer, especially since their offense has struggled mightily whenever LeBron James has gone to the bench. But the most obvious connection is the one that has received the most attention in the reporting surrounding his availability.
"LaVine and his representation obviously want (the Lakers) because of the Klutch Sports connection," Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported. LaVine is represented by Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports. Klutch has four current Lakers (James, Anthony Davis, Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt), and has had several more in recent years. But Rich Paul, Klutch's CEO, denied the idea that LaVine is pushing for a trade to the Lakers, specifically in an interview with The Athletic's Sam Amick.
"It's not one team," Paul told Amick. "I don't have a specific destination for Zach. I want what's best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that's in Chicago or somewhere else."
LaVine is currently injured, but his absence has only made a trade of some sort appear more likely. The Bulls entered Monday with a 5-3 record in games LaVine missed this season compared to a 5-13 mark in games he played in. LaVine is in only the second year of a five-year max contract, and due to his history of injuries and defensive weakness, he seemingly hasn't generated a robust trade market. Coby White has thrived as Chicago's primary scorer with LaVine out, averaging over 25 points per game.
It isn't clear at this point which teams are interested in absorbing LaVine's contract, but the list likely isn't long. The Lakers are seemingly on it The Sacramento Kings, who employ another high-profile Klutch client in De'Aaron Fox, could be as well. According to Amick, LaVine would be amenable to a parternship with Fox. If anything is depressing LaVine's market right now, it likely isn't his perceived fixation on a single destination. It's his salary, injury history and limitations as a player.
LaVine is owed roughly $138 million over the next three years beyond this season. He already has a torn ACL on his track record to say nothing of the minor injuries that have nagged him for his entire Chicago tenure. Right now, he is sidelined with a foot injury. Chicago's defensive rating has been better with LaVine on the bench in all seven of his seasons with the Bulls.
His offense is still very valuable in the right setting. But as the NBA gets better and better at scoring, defensive weak spots become easier and easier to exploit at the highest levels of the postseason. As LaVine has never won a playoff series, interested parties have no idea how he will handle those higher-stress moments on either end of the floor.
The stakes on that front are enormous considering the punitive effects of the league's new second luxury tax apron. Adding the wrong big contract can have devastating effects throughout the rest of the roster. No team wants to pay a player max money when they don't know how healthy he'll be. Some team is going to take the plunge and trade for him in spite of those risks. It might be the Lakers or it might be someone else. But given the factors limiting has market, it's hard to believe his preferences will matter all that much in these negotiations.
