The Los Angeles Lakers are stuck in NBA purgatory with their aging injury-prone trio, which they extinguished their entire bag of assets to acquire. A few years removed from their 'Bubble Championship,' the Lakers have to decide this year on the direction they need to take. They do not have any piece worth trading to improve their roster besides the 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, which would be an extremely dangerous idea even to suggest. Instead, they can look to split up LeBron James and Anthony Davis to acquire the largest haul for a duo in NBA history. According to David Aldridge from The Atheltic, LeBron James could find himself in a Chicago Bulls uniform once he is eligible to get traded later this year.

"The Bulls’ retool around DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine has hit a bumpy patch, but the front office has shown an ability to recalibrate on the fly. LaVine is six years younger than the 33-year-old DeRozan, so one guesses Chicago would be more inclined to hold onto him.

---

"
Conversely, James, LaVine and a re-signed Nikola Vučević could be quite ornery in the half court. If Lonzo Ball ever did get healthy enough to join them, there could be all kinds of fun in the Windy City on cold winter nights, with James and Ball taking turns throwing oops to LaVine.

The Trade Offer: LBJ to Chicago for DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams." - DAVID ALDRIDGE VIA THE ATHLETIC

LeBron James To Chicago Trade Package

The trade package put together by The Athletic's David Aldridge works in theory once LeBron James is eligible to get traded. The Lakers would receive two players to keep them competitive in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso and a third player to develop in Patrick Williams. Alridge gave this trade a 50% chance of happening, which is great news for Chicago fans.

LeBron James will be reunited with Lonzo Ball, two of the highest IQ players of their generation. LeBron could also rely on Zach LaVine to score down the stretch. Even if LeBron James is 38 years old, he still has a lot left in the tank. Lebron is averaging nearly 30 points per game, seven assists per game, and eight rebounds per game. If he can replicate that, it'd be the most remarkable season by a Bulls player in franchise history post-Jordan era.

The Lakers can stay competitive over the next few years with DeMar DeRozan, Anthony Davis, and Alex Caruso. If the Lakers weren't trading away LeBron James, Lakers nation would be more than happy to have those three as their core trio. That team can stay competitive and be a play-in team over the next few years. Patrick Williams still has a lot of promise and has shown flashes of being an outstanding player in this league. The Lakers can't start their rebuild until 2027, once they get their first-round draft picks back. For now, that team will keep the ship sailing.