The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their defeat in the hands of the Dallas Mavericks with a hard-fought 122-119 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Despite the win, their fourth-quarter play against the team with one of the worst records this season was quite humbling. The Lakers held a staggering 20-point lead over the Spurs before they made a furious comeback to close the lead to just a single point with 17 seconds on the clock. What looked like a massive blowout win turned out to be a neck-to-neck, with the Spurs outscoring the Lakers 45-30 in the fourth quarter.

Notably, it was the absence of their superstar forward, LeBron James, that exacerbated the Lakers’ challenges. It also highlighted how desperately the Lakers need another scorer in their lineup. Their abysmal fourth quarter led Gilbert Arenas to endorse the Zach LaVine trade in exchange for $39 million in assets.

Gilbert Arenas proposes Zach LaVine trade to the Lakers

Much of the Lakers’ scoring load falls on Anthony Davis and LeBron James right now. However, with James out or when Davis is having an off night, the team lacks any more key pieces that can take that burden off or lend the required support. In Gil’s Arena’s recent live stream, NFL legend turned NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe and Gilbert Arenas sat down to discuss why the Lakers must trade for Zach LaVine.

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Gilbert points to the inconsistency of bench players like D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince. Their contributions seem to impact the game defensively rather than bolstering the offensive front, which, in Gilbert’s view, isn’t what the team currently requires.

Therefore, Gilbert’s proposed trade sends Taurean Prine, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell packing to bag Zach Lavine. “The trade could happen. Prince, Rui, DLo – that’s 39 million. Zach LaVine’s at 40. Swap them,” suggested Gilbert Arenas.

However, the question now is: should the Lakers sacrifice their depth in order to add a third option behind James and Davis?

Should the Lakers trade for Zach LaVine?

With Zach earning approximately $40 million a year, the Lakers would need to send off significant salaries to get him into the fold. But is Zach worth the price the Lakers have to pay? Some analysts argue that it is not. The 28-year-old has had multiple surgeries on his left knee and is owed $178.1 million this season through 2026–27 (with a player option before the final year). Furthermore, former Knicks GM Scott Perry pointed out that LaVine does not have enough playoff experience. In his nine years, he has only been to the playoffs once, which includes only four playoff games.

Moreover, rotation players were crucial in the Lakers’ trip to the Western Conference finals last season. Therefore, sacrificing depth might weigh heavily on the team’s title aspirations this season. Do you think the Lakers should trade for Zach LaVine? Let us know in the comments!

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