The Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in very different positions at the moment. The Bulls appear to be gearing up for a significant rebuild, having already moved on from DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. There’s also speculation that Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic might be on the trading block if the right offer comes along.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are trying to keep their Championship hopes alive with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as their window of opportunity narrows. To give LeBron a shot at his fifth ring, they might need to make some strategic moves.
While the Lakers aren’t quite contenders yet, they’re not far off. With the right additions, they could quickly find themselves back in the title race.
This scenario raises the possibility of a three-team trade involving the Lakers, Bulls, and Washington Wizards.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the suggested trade would have the Lakers acquire Malcolm Brogdon, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jevon Carter. The Wizards would receive D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, a 2029 first-round pick (top-five-protected), and multiple trade exceptions. Lastly, the Bulls would get Johnny Davis, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a small trade exception.
This trade would address some of the Lakers’ needs. But what’s in it for the Bulls?
Pincus noted, “The Bulls don’t necessarily need Carter, given they have Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and are hoping for Lonzo Ball’s return. Carter didn’t perform well with the team last year, and Chicago would likely be glad to avoid his $6.8 million player option for 2025-26.
“In this scenario, the Bulls would receive young prospects in Davis and Baldwin to evaluate. The Lakers and Wizards are the primary teams in this deal, but if Chicago can gain something from it, why not?”
Though the Bulls seem to be a secondary player in this trade, they could still benefit from taking some risks and exploring new opportunities as they rebuild.
