The Los Angeles Lakers are in their best position all season, sitting as the No. 5 seed in the West with a 24-18 record. The franchise is trying to maximize its good results while still maintaining the same core roster as last season. The team's superstars are begging for major trades to give them a shot at contention, even though Rob Pelinka isn't thrilled about sacrificing future assets.
The Chicago Bulls started the season to win games, but they need to refocus on tanking as soon as they can. They need to accumulate as many future assets as possible to give themselves a shot at becoming real contenders in a few seasons. They need to start tanking this season to protect their first-round pick from going to the Spurs while also landing a potential new franchise cornerstone.
The Bulls can part with multiple valuable players for a big trade return from the Lakers.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Torrey Craig
Chicago Bulls Receive: Rui Hachimyra, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt. 2031 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAC), 2027 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
This trade addresses all the holes in the Lakers' roster and allows them to upgrade their roster into contention tangibly. Instead of worrying about a star addition or making non-needle-moving minor trades, this deal is the perfect middle-ground which sees the Lakers give up major assets but for three very different players.
The Lakers Land 3 Weapons They Need
The Lakers have a solid roster primarily due to the presence of stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while there are winning players across positions like Austin Reaves also on the roster, However, there is a lot of dead weight toward the end of the roster primarily due to poor free agency moves in the last two seasons. Despite that, the Lakers have kept themselves in the Playoff hunt and could terrify the NBA with this trade.
Nikola Vucevic is averaging 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds this season, shooting an incredible 41.3% from three. His arrival will finally give Anthony Davis the center he wants to play alongside, making the Lakers one of the biggest teams in the NBA.
Coby White might be the best asset coming to LA, averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists this season. The 24-year-old guard could have a long-term future with the franchise and will be a contributor even after LeBron and Davis are gone. This would be White's first chance to play for a real contender, so after a small adjustment period, he should be right at home.
Finally, just to add another forward to this roster, Torrey Craig comes over as well. He's averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds this season as a multi-positional forward who's also playing minutes as a small-ball center. He won't be a major contributor but it will be a nice option to have behind Dorian Finney-Smith in the forward line.
The Bulls Focus On Tanking
The Chicago Bulls don't own their 2025 first-round pick, which has top-10 protection, or it will be conveyed to the San Antonio Spurs. The Bulls are currently the No. 10 seed in the East, and if they sneak into the Playoffs, their pick likely won't be in their hands, leading to another gap season for the franchise. To avoid this issue, simply make a trade to consolidate the players for future assets.
Rui Hachimura is averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. He would be a short-term forward on the franchise, who should move off the versatile frontcourt player in the summer to keep adding assets. Gabe Vincent is averaging 4.8 points but would be a nice bench veteran. Jarred Vanderbilt is yet to play this season, but the 25-year-old defensive ace could make Chicago a long-term home.
The biggest returning asset is the Lakers' 2031 first-round pick, arguably one of the most valuable picks in the NBA. Instead of settling for multiple second-round picks by dealing these players individually, the Bulls can put them together to get a major asset and build towards sustainable roster construction.
A Trade Which Would Change Their Seasons
Both the Lakers and the Bulls aren't in the place where they want to be. The Bulls might have pretended they wanted to contend this season, but their roster was as far away from being a winning team as possible. However, they didn't tank their season either, stuck in the middle-ground of being good enough to be a Play-In team, not bad enough for the lottery, or good enough for the Playoffs.
The Lakers are on pace to skip the Play-in tournament for the first time since its full-time introduction in 2021. They need these winning players, primarily a high-impact center and guard. In this deal, they get exactly that, alongside a veteran forward they can use well as a backup in Hachimura's absence.
