3 reasons why the Lakers must trade for Zach Lavine
Zach LaVine might have a new home by the end of the season. The Chicago Bulls are open to trading the shooting guard, and safe to say, there is no dearth of suitors, including his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
While the Purple and Gold come as the most obvious choice for LaVine, multiple suitors benefit from his offense. The likes of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are looked at as potential suitors as well.
However, his fit in LA looks more seamless, given his recent style of play and his strengths. This season, LaVine has been averaging 21.9 points, 3.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
From a contract standpoint, he is in the second season of a five-year, $215 million maximum contract. It's also worth noting that he is represented by Klutch Sports, so the Lakers have an opportunity to land a valuable asset if they indeed trade for him.
3 reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers must trade for Zach LaVine
#3 Zach LaVine brings 3-point shooting consistency
Despite padding up with streaky shooters in Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Gabe Vincent, the Lakers are still at 30.4% and are placed at the bottom of the league in shooting from beyond the arc.
Adding LaVine might mean trading up a few of these names, but the shooting firepower sees a sharp rise. The UCLA product has been shooting 30.9% of his threes, and his career 38.2% shooting will help LA get their perimeter woes ironed out.
#2 The Lakers will sort out scoring in the non-LeBron James minutes
The Lakers offense sputters each time LeBron James goes to the bench. According to CBS Sports, the number dips by over 15 points for every 100 possessions.
With Zach LaVine in the mix, they have an explosive and stable scoring machine who keeps getting buckets.
In D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, they have two perfect players with sharp assists to help the guard knock down points even when James is getting a breather.
#1 Make way for another superteam with the best chance to win an NBA championship
With the Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers adding superstars to their roster, the expectations for them have been nothing less than a championship. But with injuries and inconsistency, neither of the teams is where they are ideally supposed to be.
For the Lakers, James and Anthony Davis are the potent weapons who come in with brilliant chemistry.
Zach LaVine would further add more consistency and be a reliable option in the absence of one of these stars. Their depth will further add to their advantage and provide them with the most legitimate chance to win a championship.