Lakers News: LA Expected To Reconsider Zach LaVine Trade
When word leaked last week from Marc Stein that your Los Angeles Lakers were actually not very interested in trading for Zach LaVine, thank you very much, some of us here at All Lakers HQ had to stifle a chuckle.
The 28-year-old UCLA product, a dead-eye three-level sharpshooter and two-time All-Star in his absolute prime, would be a perfect cure for what ails Los Angeles, a club in desperate need of more three-point and foul shooting, plus one who could use a scoring upgrade over Austin Reaves, who's been underwhelming to start the year.
Yours truly was Jack's Total Lack Of Surprise today when Shams Charania of FanDuel indicated that, well, maybe Los Angeles couldn't quite quit the notion of trading for Zach LaVine just yet.
LaVine has looked checked-out all year, and recently intimated to agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports (who also represents most of the important Lakers) that he'd be receptive to being dealt away.
This season, the 6'5" swingman is averaging 221. points on .454/.344/.866 shooting splits (the shooting numbers are all a bit down from his career percentages, but keep in mind he's been phoning it in for weeks as the 5-13 Bulls continue to plummet in the East and he awaits a deal), 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across 17 career games. His maximum-salaried contract could be a bit of a deterrent on the trade market this season, and he's had an unfortunately prolific early injury history that includes an ACL tear and some knee scopes.
But he also represents the kind of creative scoring punch that could maybe, finally, let the Lakers record a positive plus-minus while LeBron James rests his 38-year-old bones on the bench.
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