When thinking about the history of the Los Angeles Lakers the first two things that come to mind are championships and superstars. Over the course of their history, the Lakers have featured some of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball.
The rich history of players starts with George Mikan, then Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
In the process of trying to win championships through stars, the Lakers have added players that did not work. In the 2003 offseason, Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers which was followed by them losing the 2004 Finals. Then in 2012, the Lakers traded for Dwight Howard and signed Steve Nash which was followed by Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles trying to lift the Lakers into the playoffs.
Just very recently, the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis a deal that failed miserably. With a new star available in Zach LaVine, and the Lakers rumored to be interested, it's worth considering why this might not be the right move for them.
3. The Lakers would sacrifice depth in a Zach LaVine trade
In order for the Lakers to trade for Zach LaVine, they would first have to match his $40 million dollar contract. The Lakers only have two players that make more than $20 million dollars this season which are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers aren't trading either of their stars, which means they would have to package multiple players in exchange for one.
LaVine is a star so the Lakers would have to give up more than just two players to get him. That is something that the Lakers shouldn't do because depth has been the reason for winning championships over the last couple of years.
Looking at the Denver Nuggets last season, the play of Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Christian Braun was a key factor. The Warriors in 2022, Jordan Poole, Gary Payton II, and Otto Porter Jr. all played extremely well in their playoff run. Both of those teams had eight or nine players that played extremely well.
At the moment, the Lakers have depth with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Christian Wood, who have been amazing off the bench. In the starting lineup, the defense of Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince has been crucial in helping LeBron James. D'Angelo Russell has been a great third option in the starting lineup.
In order to get Zach LaVine, the Lakers would have to give up some of those players who have played a significant part in the Lakers' success this season.
2. Zach LaVine is not a good defender
The oldest cliche in sports is "Defense wins championships." That isn't always the case but the Lakers midseason turnaround last year and their success this year has been because of their defense. The Lakers currently have the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA and it's a big reason they're 10-7.
If the Lakers were to trade for LaVine, there is a good chance they would be giving up multiple valuable defenders for a player who has an established track record of struggling at that end of the floor.
This is something that the Lakers can't afford to do because the defense that everyone else has been playing gives LeBron James a break. He himself has been playing great defense but playing in year 21, he can't use too much energy at that end.
If the Lakers got LaVine, they probably would be better offensively but there is too great a risk of losing their defensive identity. The Lakers have established a defensive backbone and one that they know they can rely on. Trading for LaVine could cause them to lose what's been their strength to this point.
1. Lakers team chemistry
It doesn't matter what sport you play or how good your are, the most important thing in team sports is having chemistry with your teammates. Right now the Lakers have some of the best chemistry in the league.
There are seven players on the Lakers roster returning from their conference championship run last year. LeBron leading these guys to work out together during the offseason is leading to better play on the court. Most of all, LeBron James and Anthony Davis had the opportunity to build a rapport with the new guys like Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood with a full training camp.
When adding Zach LaVine to the mix, they lose out on players that LeBron and Davis were close with and trusted, and the Lakers would have to start over figuring out how to play together. This could cause the Lakers to drop a few games that they wouldn't have if they didn't trade for LaVine.
Once again looking at past champions, the core players on those teams had multiple seasons playing together under their belt. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic have played multiple seasons together and know how each other plays. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green is another perfect example.
Right now, the Lakers' five best players have been Anthony Davis, LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura. All five of them are averaging above 10 points per game. All five know their roles, have been consistent and were all on the Western Conference Finals team last year.
Messing with the current state of the Lakers' chemistry would be a disaster. They are good enough to win a championship right now and their chemistry plays a big part in that.
