NBA: The Chicago Bulls might engage in a major trade deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in vastly different situations at the moment.

The Bulls appear to be heading toward a significant rebuild, having already moved on from DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. Additionally, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are reportedly open for trade if the right offers come along.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ window to win another championship with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is narrowing. If LeBron is to claim his fifth title, the Lakers will need to make key moves. While they aren’t title contenders right now, they’re not far off, and a couple of strong acquisitions could put them back in the race. This could potentially lead to a three-team trade involving the Lakers, Bulls, and Washington Wizards. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposed a scenario where the Lakers acquire Malcolm Brogdon, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jevon Carter. The Wizards would receive D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, a 2029 first-round pick (top-five protected), and various trade exceptions. The Bulls, in turn, would get Johnny Davis, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a trade exception

The proposed trade would address several of the Lakers’ needs, but what’s in it for the Bulls? According to Pincus, “The Bulls don’t need Carter, as they already have Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and are hoping for the return of Lonzo Ball (knee). Carter struggled with the team last year, and Chicago would be happy to offload his $6.8 million player option for 2025-26.” Instead, the Bulls would get a chance to evaluate young talents like Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr. While the Lakers and Wizards are the key players in this deal, the Bulls could still benefit from the opportunity to test out these younger assets.

The Bulls are pretty much the third team in the proposed trade, helping it fall into place more than anything else. But that does not mean that they could not benefit from it, especially at a time when they can afford to take a few risks and try different things.