Why the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls are natural trade partners

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 14: Head coach Luke Walton and Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Barclays Center on December 14, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

NBA Trade Rumors: Why the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls are natural trade partners, and should swap Julius Randle for Bobby Portis

Expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t necessarily high entering the 2017-18 season, but they were raised.

The Lakers are a franchise that is used to winning. Okay, let me put that differently – the Lakers minus 24 (Kobe, for those of you that didn’t catch that) equals 237 combined losses dating back to the 2013-14 season; the last season in recent memory that the Lakers finished with a winning record (45-37).

The head coach back that season? Mike D’Antoni. While I understand why the Lakers fired D’Antoni, he still led a Lakers squad that had Jordan I Wanted Farmar Than 22.2 MPG But Shouldn’t Have Received That Many Minutes to Begin With, Chris ‘Caveman’ Kaman (his nickname didn’t come from because he played with physicality, it’s because he was so clunky on the court), what was left of Steve Nash’s body, Ryan Kelly’s ghost (equivalent to his production on the court), and Xxxxavier Henry; after his shot chart from that season.

[credit: NBA Savant]

Side note about that same Lakers squad: they were 2nd in the league in pace that season.

TL:DR: Props D’Antoni, glad you’re in Houston though.

Fast forward to the 2016-17 season, and Brandon Ingram is selected second overall. While Lakers fans might have wished they took Ben Simmons instead of Ingram (mainly because Simmons is bigger and depending on what angle you look at Ingram he might disappear from your line of sight.), they are locked in with their current core…at least, most of it.

Pre-game comments tonight from @wojespn who says it's "very unlikely" Julius Randle has a future with the Lakers pic.twitter.com/QuSg9LXxES
— Lakers Outsiders (@LakersOutsiders) November 9, 2017

I don’t know about the rest of you all, but I’m honestly a little surprised this is the narrative surrounding the Lakers at the moment. While I’ve heard and read Randle trade rumors the past few seasons, it seems like the Lakers are teetering towards taking action.

Like Woj pointed out, they could likely net a first round pick in any potential deal, but it’s not like Randle is a bad player – the Lakers created a logjam with the offseason they had, then had it tested when Nance went down, and now still don’t have a solution. (I’ll tell you one thing though – after watching the Celtics and Lakers play the other night, Bogut is not the answer. He looked gassed on every play). So where to now?

Chi-Town.