NBA Trade Rumors: 6 Realistic targets Lakers should prioritize after uneven start

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

If the Los Angeles Lakers head into the NBA Trade Deadline season with the hope of landing a big-name star, there is one potential target who could make sense for the franchise. That's Zach LaVine. But before you yell at this idea in the comments, it's only fair to hear out the argument. For one, it should be noted that LaVine has done an amazing job at the start of this season to begin to build his trade value back up. At the very least, LaVine has proven that he could still be a productive player after a forgettable year.

Even though LaVine has been better of late, you'd still expect his market to be weak. That could open the door for a team to swoop in to snag him for an under-the-market price. Assuming the Bulls are still desperate to trade LaVine, this is something the Lakers could take advantage of. The Lakers could add a star-level talent for a fraction of the price that they're currently going for on the normal trade market. If Los Angeles believes LaVine would be a good fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, this could be a steal of a move for the Lakers.

Of course, in order for the Lakers to be comfortable with such a move, they'd have to be sold on the idea that they are a LaVine move away from establishing themselves as a real contender in the Western Conference. And to be quite honest, I'm not sure if the simple addition helps the Lakers accomplish that. In a vacuum, LaVine is a productive player who could benefit from playing on a roster as talented as Los Angeles' is. However, to say that he'd be the final piece of their championship puzzle may be flawed thinking.

To add even more concern to the idea of trading for LaVine, the fact that he's due $93 million over the next two years after this season should give the Lakers even more pause toward pursuing such a deal. Despite it all, one thing is for sure - LaVine will be available for the Lakers, or any team, that would like to make a big move at the NBA Trade Deadline. The question is, will any team be willing to actually pull the trigger this time around?