Los Angeles Lakers

As the Chicago Bulls look for ways to end their recent rough stretch, the Los Angeles Lakers are keeping an eye on one of their best players in a potential trade if they decide to tear things down.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, Zach LaVine would satisfy the Lakers' "dreamiest returns" for the two future first-round draft picks they have available to trade.

Fischer did note "a far more realistic outcome" for the Lakers would be flipping Russell Westbrook to Chicago for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević if the Bulls decide to sell.

Amid speculation the Lakers could make a trade during the offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka explained what it would take for him to use the 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks in a deal.

At the same press conference, Pelinka also expressed a desire to make sure the Lakers do right by LeBron James after he gave them a commitment by signing a two-year contract extension.

"Let me abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game on our team," Pelinka told reporters. "He committed to us with a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So of course we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end."

Most of the talk during the offseason was centered around Myles Turner and Buddy Hield with the Indiana Pacers, but the Lakers didn't want to give up both of those first-round picks for those players.

LaVine would give the Lakers a primary ballhandler who is capable of creating on his own and can score from anywhere on the floor. The two-time All-Star is only shooting 35.4 percent from three-point range to start this season, but he made 39.6 percent of his attempts behind the arc in the previous three seasons.

Another aspect that likely appeals to the Lakers is LaVine's contract. He is in the first season of a five-year, $215 million deal that includes a player option for 2026-27.

The Lakers have won nine of their last 15 games after a 2-10 start, but they are still in 12th place in the Western Conference.

Trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers have been swirling throughout the first two months of the 2022-23 NBA season. At this point, it seems inevitable that the team will make at least one move prior to the trade deadline on Feb. 9.

The Lakers continue to get linked to various players from around the league. And recently, some of those rumors have featured Detroit Pistons guard Bojan Bogdanović.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Los Angeles has discussed the possibility of sending a protected first-round draft pick and some type of salary (such as Patrick Beverley) to Detroit in exchange for Bogdanović. That doesn't mean a trade is imminent, though.

"I think the holdup in that deal is that the Pistons really value Bojan Bogdanovic and they've been reluctant when they speak to other teams," Charania recently said on Bally Sports' The Rally. "Dozens of teams have called them already on Bojan Bogdanovic and they've been really reluctant to engage and even move him."

It's always possible that could change. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that executives from around the league are "hopeful" the Pistons will change their stance. After all, they're in last place in the Eastern Conference at 7-22 and will be without guard Cade Cunningham for the rest of the season due to a left shin injury.

Scotto also shared that the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks are among the teams that have expressed interest in Bogdanović in addition to the Lakers. So it doesn't seem Los Angeles will be along in its pursuit of the 33-year-old forward.

So far, Bogdanović is having an impressive season, which is his first in Detroit. He's averaging a career-high 21 points through 28 games. And he's been efficient, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 43.7 percent from 3-point range (both of which would be career bests).

The Lakers saw up close the type of success Bogdanović is having on Sunday, when he dropped 38 points in Detroit's loss to Los Angeles. It marked the third time this month that he's scored 30 or more points in a game.

Bogdanović seems like he'd be a great fit in Los Angeles, considering the Lakers need to add a wing player with a strong outside shooting ability. He would fill that role and be a great complementary piece to Los Angeles' core featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook (assuming he doesn't get traded himself at some point).

It's a bit of a steep price for the Lakers to part with a first-round pick (they own only two for the rest of the decade) and Beverley, who has made 21 starts in their backcourt this season. But Bogdanović isn't set to become a free agent until after the 2024-25 season, so he's a player Los Angeles could build around the next few years as it tries to win another championship in the late stages of James' career.

Because of that, it would be wise for Los Angeles to try to bring in Bogdanović. In order for that to happen, Detroit will need to become more open to moving him. But there's still plenty of time for that to occur before the trade deadline.

The Lakers, who are 11-16 after losing four of their past five games, could use the boost that the addition of Bogdanović would bring to their lineup.

Anthony Davis was brilliant during Tuesday's game against the Boston Celtics with 37 points and 12 rebounds behind 13-of-24 shooting from the field.

But it was two missed shots that stood out the most.

Davis went to the free-throw line with 28 seconds remaining and the Los Angeles Lakers holding on to a two-point lead after a dramatic back-and-forth that saw multiple comebacks. Rather than ice the game away, he missed both and left the door wide open.

Jayson Tatum took advantage by tying the contest with a jumper over LeBron James, and the Celtics eventually won 122-118 in overtime.

Davis couldn't stop thinking about the missed free throws after the game, and James was nothing but supportive of his All-Star teammate:

That didn't stop some of the criticism Davis received from social media:

It was a back-and-forth contest well before crunch time, as the Celtics built a 15-point halftime lead only for the Lakers to come charging back. Los Angeles turned a six-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a 13-point lead with fewer than five minutes remaining, but Boston closed on a 17-4 run with Tatum and Marcus Smart scoring 14 of those points to force overtime.

The Celtics then controlled much of the extra period, and Jaylen Brown's three-pointer to push the lead to eight in the last minute all but ended it.

The stars came out to play with Tatum dropping 44 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists, while Brown stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three steals. James countered on the other side with 33 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

Yet the contest was defined by Davis' missed opportunity near the end of regulation.

Two months into his first real foray into being a sixth man off the bench, Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is earning high marks for his play from people in the NBA.

One high-ranking team executive told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix that Westbrook's willingness to come off the bench "will change how people view him" around the league.

"If he's willing to be a change-of-pace point guard, to play less minutes, to have defensive energy, top-tier teams are going to be interested in him this summer. The Iverson comparisons are fair," the executive said. "Allen could have played three or four more years if he had been willing to come off the bench. He would have had a field day against second units. Westbrook can do the same."

There have been comparisons made between Westbrook and Iverson for a long time. Iverson's NBA career came to an abrupt end after the 2009-10 season in part because he was unhappy about coming off the bench.

When Lakers head coach Darvin Ham first experimented using Westbrook off the bench during the preseason, the former NBA MVP suffered a hamstring injury that he blamed on sitting for too long after pregame warmups.

"I've been doing the same thing for 14 years straight," Westbrook told reporters. "Honestly, I didn't even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. ... That's something I just wasn't accustomed to."

After starting the first three games of the season, Westbrook has come off the bench in each of his next 25 games. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 15.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 25 games since Oct. 28. He's shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three-point range.

The results haven't been stellar, but it's at least an indication he can be a productive player in a different role.

Westbrook is still playing almost 28 minutes per game during this stretch.

Being willing to take on a different role at this later stage of his career shows other teams that Westbrook is capable of doing what's in the best interest of the team.

This is a crucial step for a player who may or may not finish this season with the Lakers, is also going to be a free agent next summer and presumably wants to make a good impression on teams that might be interested in signing him.

Carmelo Anthony has been a free agent since the end of the 2021-22 season, but the 10-time All-Star isn't necessarily chasing an opportunity to play again.

Speaking to ESPN's Malika Andrews on Monday (starts at 2:20 mark), Anthony was asked about his aspirations for a potential return to the NBA.

"I love the game, I will say that," he said. "But I realize there's a lot of things that's not in my control. So I can just sit back and let it play out, and whatever it's going to be, it's going to be, and I accept that. I'm at peace with that."

Anthony was being interviewed at halftime of a high school showcase game between Sierra Canyon and Christ the King. His son, Kiyan, is a sophomore at Christ the King and was playing against Bronny James.

He went on to say if he "would love to play" and is "still in the gym every single day."

"If the opportunity presents itself, it presents itself, but it's not something that I'm pressing about," Anthony told Andrews.

Anthony spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was an effective scorer off the bench, averaging 13.3 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting (37.5 percent from three) in 69 appearances.

Speaking to Mark Medina of USA Today in September 2021, Anthony admitted it was "hard to say" how much longer he would keep playing.

"My body will tell me when it's time to go," he explained. "Your body is not going to lie to you. I did have a year and some change to conserve some gas in the tank. I've thought about it before. But now, I don't think about it."

There have been no indications that Anthony is thinking about formally retiring. The 38-year-old was rumored to be generating interest from the Boston Celtics before the start of this season after Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL.

The Celtics don't appear to need any help at this point with an NBA-best 21-7 record.

Anthony has had a successful transition to a role player off the bench late in his career. He averaged 14.0 points per game with a 38.9 percent three-point rate in 196 games from 2019 to '22.

The stars were out Monday night in Chatsworth, California, when Bronny James and Sierra Canyon faced Kiyan Anthony and Christ the King in the Geico High School Showcase on ESPN.

James is the son of Los Angeles Lakers star and NBA legend LeBron James, while Anthony is the son of longtime NBA star Carmelo Anthony, and both fathers were on hand to support their sons Monday.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, several other current and former NBA players, as well as celebrities were also on hand for the game.

Former NBA players Kenyon Martin, Nick Young and John Lucas III were all present, as were current Lakers Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider. Hall of Famer and Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen also attended the game since his son, Justin Pippen, plays for Sierra Canyon.

Other notable people at the game were Kim and Khloe Kardashian, radio host Big Boy, Basketball Wives star Laura Govan and Natalia Bryant, who is the oldest daughter of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

ESPN caught up with Carmelo during the game, and he discussed what it meant for him and LeBron to watch their sons play against each other:

LeBron and Melo are longtime rivals on the court, but also longtime friends off of it. They were two of the top three picks in the 2003 NBA draft and went on to face each other many times over the course of nearly 20 years.

They were also teammates for the United States at the Olympics on three occasions, winning two gold medals and one bronze together. Also, they were teammates in the NBA for the first time last season when they both played for the Lakers.

Bronny and Sierra Canyon came out on top Monday, as Bronny finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 62-51 win. Kiyan finished with eight points in Christ the King's loss.

Sierra Canyon was ranked 25th in the nation compared to Christ the King's ranking of No. 22, but Bronny's squad figures to move up after improving to 7-1 on the year.

Agent Rich Paul never believed the "injury prone" narrative surrounding Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.

"Over the last couple years, he's had some really freak situations," Paul said of Davis, per Sam Schube of GQ. "Guy gets pushed into his knee. And then I think the one before that, or the year before that, was a hamstring or a groin, whatever it was. Those are the things that happen when you play the sport. People act like, 'Oh, he's just hoping to go out and get injured.' Or, 'The guy don't want to play.' It's stupidity at times, but that's what comes with it."

Paul also argued the criticism is media-driven to grow viewership.

Injuries have been a major storyline for Davis in the past few seasons, however. After helping the Lakers win the 2020 NBA title, he played just 76 games over the last two years combined. He appeared in three of the final 24 games of 2021-22 as the squad fell out of playoff contention.

Despite his obvious talent on the court, earning eight All-Star selections in his first nine seasons, the lack of durability became a major point of criticism against the forward.

Davis has explained the injuries weren't part of a larger issue.

"There were two injuries I couldn't control," he told Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports earlier this month. "Somebody getting pushed into my knee or falling into my knee, and landed on someone's foot."

The 29-year-old has been more durable in 2022-23, appearing in 23 of 26 games while never missing more than one game in a row. He's averaging 27.7 points per game, which would be his highest total in four seasons with the Lakers, while his 12.4 rebounds per game lead the NBA.

The criticism will fade if Davis continues to produce at a high level while staying on the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are "prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams" ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, with a keen eye toward Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanović and the New York Knicks' wing pair of Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier.

According to Charania's report, the Lakers have "discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick" for Bogdanović and are "among roughly a dozen teams to inquire about him, offering first- or second-rounders." However, Charania added that the Pistons "have expressed to rival teams a significant reluctance about moving" Bogdanović.

The Lakers seem content, at least for the time being, with Russell Westbrook in the sixth-man role. The 34-year-old point guard has played well coming off the bench and is averaging 14.4 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from three.

In his three games as a starter this season, Westbrook averaged 10.3 points per game and shot 28.9 percent from the field. The change has done him—and the Lakers—good.

Still, the Lakers find themselves just 11-15 on the year as they continue to recover from a dreadful 2-10 start. One way to surge would be to add more shooting around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Bogdanović would help. The 33-year-old is averaging a career-high 21 points per game this season and is shooting an impressive 43.7 percent from deep. His ability to stretch the floor would open up far more spacing for James to drive to the basket or for Davis to work out of the post.

Reddish, 23, wouldn't be that level of offensive upgrade—he's averaging 8.4 points per game this season and is shooting only 30.4 percent from three—but he would give the Lakers a young and athletic two-way wing, which is always a valuable archetype of player.

The 30-year-old Fournier is a more natural scorer than his younger Knicks counterpart, even though his production this year (6.9 PPG, 33 percent from three) has fallen well below his career averages (14.2 PPG, 38 percent from three).

Fournier has been a starter for most of his career, but he's been asked to come off the bench in roughly half of his appearances this season, which has perhaps been a difficult adjustment for him to make.

Of all of the players listed, Bogdanović would provide the most obvious solution for the Lakers' needs. However, the Pistons don't seem particularly inclined to let him go at this juncture.

The Los Angeles Lakers notched a 124-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, thanks to strong performances by LeBron James (35 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Anthony Davis (34, 15 and seven).

L.A. has now won six of its last 10, and while the Lakers are just 11-15, making a playoff push doesn't seem as outlandish as it did early in the season.

The Lakers' recent change of fortunes could prompt general manager Rob Pelinka to make a win-now trade ahead of February's deadline. There's a chance that a deal could involve a familiar face.

According to Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma could end up on the trade block—and the Lakers could be logical suitors.

"He wants out," an NBA source told Pincus. "He's looking for over $20 million a season and in a big market [or with a contender]."

As Pincus noted, Washington must at least consider moving Kuzma rather than risk losing him as a free agent in the offseason. Kuzma has a player option for the 2023-24 season that would pay him $13 million—substantially less than what he is reportedly seeking.

Pincus also speculated that Los Angeles could be in on Kuzma if he becomes available.

"Another team to monitor would be the Lakers, knowing Kuzma has championship experience playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis," Pincus wrote. "Giving up a first to both part and reunite with Kuzma would fit the Lakers' track record."

Should the Lakers be interested in reacquiring Kuzma less than two years after sending him to Washington in the Russell Westbrook trade? Probably not.

At first blush, adding Kuzma seems like a great option. He has become a star in Washington and is averaging 21.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season. He's also shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the floor.

Kuzma is a capable range shooter—he's shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc this season—and theoretically could help provide offensive spacing around James and Davis that Los Angeles could use.

However, the Lakers wouldn't be getting this version of Kuzma. They'd be getting the same role player Kuzma was when he last played in L.A.

When James and Davis were both healthy in the 2019-20 season, Kuzma started just nine games. He averaged 25.0 minutes but just 12.8 points. As Kuzma recently noted, his play style made it difficult for him to be on the floor with James and Davis regularly.

"Here, I'm not playing behind LeBron and AD. Those guys are my position, my type of player, who I am, my style," the 6'9" forward told The Athletic's Shams Charania. "So coming here, I don't have that anymore."

Kuzma's impact would most likely be as a quality sixth man. L.A. already has that in Westbrook, who is averaging 14.4 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor.

Having both Kuzma and Westbrook on the roster wouldn't make a ton of sense, and Los Angeles isn't going to convince Washington to take back Westbrook.

The other factor to consider here is Kuzma's future. If he wants to remain a starter and is looking for $20 million-plus annually, it won't be with L.A. Hypothetically, the Lakers would be giving up a future first-round pick for the short-term rental of a bench player.

And this is assuming a first-round pick would be enough to net Kuzma. According to Pincus, the Kuzma is "believed" to be on the Sacramento Kings' radar. Having two (or perhaps more) interested teams could drive up Washington's asking price significantly.

If the Lakers are looking to make a trade to win now, they have other options worth pursuing instead of Kuzma. According to Pincus, the Lakers are interested in acquiring DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević from the Chicago Bulls.

While L.A. would lose Westbrook in this scenario, it would add a versatile player in DeRozan and a true center in Vučević who could help take some of the physical pressure off Davis. DeRozan can play either forward or guard and could replace the struggling Patrick Beverley in the starting lineup.

What sort of deal the Lakers pursue before the deadline will hinge heavily on how they fare over the next few weeks. However things unfold, Kuzma isn't the right trade target for L.A.

If the Lakers continue trending upward and hope to win now, Kuzma won't make them a title contender. If they're looking to next season, Kuzma is highly unlikely to be a long-term building block.

The idea of reuniting James, Davis and Kuzma is intriguing, but given the likely cost and benefits, it's not a deal Los Angeles should force.