Zach LaVine, an All-Star player for the Chicago Bulls, may have played for the Los Angeles Lakers if he hadn’t had to undergo season-ending foot surgery. No other than LeBron James, the self-proclaimed “King,” reportedly approved of the team’s proposal to pursue the daring winger.
Unable to move Zach LaVine
The Bulls made a concerted effort to find LaVine a suitor ever since his agents said they would be willing to play elsewhere in November. The former UCLA standout, though, had a bad season owing to injury; a painful foot kept him out of action in December. LaVine then sustained a sprained ankle, which caused his foot to get inflamed once more, following his comeback and seven games. He ultimately decided to have surgery to fix his injured foot, which put an end to a terrible season in which he averaged a pitiful 19.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.
LeBron wanted LaVine on the Lakers to be another playmaker and scoring option, according to a report by Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha. According to report,
“James was also in support of the Lakers trading for Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine — two Klutch Sports clients — in the weeks and months leading into the 2024 trade deadline,”
#NBA LeBron James was in favor of the Lakers trading for Zach LaVine: reports https://t.co/eladYg36ra #Sports
— NBA Reporter (@RealNBA) February 16, 2024
Despite the fact that LaVine’s name was included in almost every trade rumor up to last February 8 deadline, LaVine’s large salary and injury history prevented Chicago from completing a deal.
