The Lakers have been models of volatility in recent seasons. Couple that with an underperforming team and the potential for a blockbuster exists.
Enter the Bulls, who at 9-14 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, could find themselves as sellers this season.
On a Nov. 29 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Simmons proposed that the Bulls enter the trade market with a move that would send DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to the Lakers. This week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said Simmons’ thoughts have at least been mulled over in Los Angeles.
“I can tell you 100 percent for sure the Lakers have had internal discussions about that very possibility if it would ever come up,” Lowe said on his “The Lowe Post Podcast” this week. “Not that they [the Lakers] would do it, let me be clear. Just, you look around the league, like any responsible team would.”
The Lakers hold a 10-12 record and are in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Efficient play from forwards Anthony Davis has kept L.A. relevant in a top-heavy Western Conference. An offseason makeover — they added veteran Patrick Beverly and relegated Russell Westbrook to the bench under new coach Darvin Ham — has seen mixed results thus far for LeBron James’ squad.
Could a pair of Bulls help change that?
Through 23 games, DeRozan has averaged 25.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Vucevic has averaged 15.8 points, and 11 rebounds per game over the same span, but has seen an overall drop in offensive productivity since the 2020-2021 season during which he averaged 23.4 points per game as a member of both the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls.
It would make for an interesting deal.
