Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

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

By Mason McFee

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Luke Walton and Julius Randle
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Luke Walton and Julius Randle /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 13: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on October 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 13: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on October 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Trade

Creative title, right?

Chicago receives: Luol Deng, Julius Randle

L.A. receives: Bobby Portis, Robin Lopez

Straight up….. because the best either team has to offer (according to realGM.com) is a second rounder next year (neither of which is their own to begin with), or L.A. can  give Chicago their own 2019 second rounder back. So, straight up.

While I admit that the trade seems lopsided at first, both teams come out winners…. but first, let’s play guess the player!

Player A: 14.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 57.0 eFG%

Player B: 10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 61.4 eFG%

Player C: 11.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 61.2 eFG%

Recognize anyone yet? No? Here, let me add their minutes played averages, and see if that helps you.

Player A: 14.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 57.0 eFG%, 30.0 MPG

Player B: 10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 61.4 eFG%, 23.1 MPG

Player C: 11.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 61.2 eFG%, 19.2 MPG

Still don’t recognize them? Try this:

Kyle Kuzma: 14.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 57.0 eFG%, 30.0 MPG

Larry Nance, Jr.: 10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 61.4 eFG%, 23.1 MPG

Julius Randle: 11.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 61.2 eFG%, 19.2 MPG

Interesting, huh?

Nance started the first eight games before he went down with a fracture in his hand, and isn’t expected back for another month or so, so Walton has opted to play the rookie instead of veteran*. While Kuzma and Randle offer different skillsets (i.e. 3-point shooting, something kind of popular in today’s NBA – Kuzma (30.2%), Randle (16.7%) I still think Randle should have been the starting power forward to begin the season; but I’m not Lakers management.

I’m not going to deny Kuzma’s impressive flashes, but Randle literally offers more size, and despite being undersized by his positional standard, he is currently, at the time of this writing, tied for 16th in rebounding amongst power forwards…. with Kyle Kuzma.

Now, I completely understand if you’re still on the Kuzma hype train – it’s not a bad one to be on. But what happens when Nance comes back? He’ll be eased in, sure, your hand’s kind of necessary to play basketball – but is Kuzma guaranteed the starting spot the rest of the season? I don’t think so, not so much because I’m biased toward Randle starting, but because Walton isn’t afraid to experiment with his lineups; and I think Kuzma is better off the bench, and the move would be better for his development long-term.

No, you’re dodging talking about Deng! I promise I will… in the next slide.

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