After missing out on securing a championship ring for the fourth consecutive year, the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers are now looking to make some changes to their existing roster. The search is already on for a new head coach after Darvin Ham’s firing, and NBA enthusiasts are putting out new names that can be traded from the existing team or added to it. A prominent name rising from the string of rumors is a Chicago Bulls shooting guard who has been associated with the franchise for over 7 years now. If any further fuel needed to be added to the fire, then the player recently may have gone out of his way to do so.

LeBron James and his teammate, Anthony Davis, were both present as the former’s son, Bronny James, was performing in the Pro-Day event at the Lakers facility. Amongst the crowd in attendance was also 29-year-old Zach LaVine. He made his presence known by going up to the All-Time NBA Lead Scorer and exchanging a warm greeting with him. He later walked ahead a few paces and even shared a handshake with Davis. LaVine being present and exchanging greetings with the Lakers stars was enough for an X user to question whether there was something more to it.

Other NBA enthusiasts also took it upon themselves to discuss why LaVine would be present at the Lakers’ training facility. One user highlighted that the public workout was conducted for all “Klutch rookies at the Lakers practice facility and every team/players could come watch”. This meant that any player from any other franchise could have been present as well. However, LaVine was reportedly the only non-Lakers athlete there. Is this an indication of something interesting happening?

Zach LaVine has been a valuable contributor to the Chicago franchise for more than half a decade, averaging over 24.2 points per season. However, his worth recently came under question after the player developed a serious foot injury. He underwent surgery to treat the same in February, causing him to be ruled out for the rest of the season.

“There should still be a reasonable amount of outside interest, particularly among teams desperate for floor-spacing and/or hoping LaVine can settle into a third option’s role,” wrote Bleacher Report journalist Dan Favale. “But that interest may be contingent upon Chicago selling low to medium”.

Is LeBron James standing in the way of a possible Bulls-Lakers trade?

The Chicago Bulls are a franchise that has not been particularly big on trades for quite some time now. Amidst this drought, the one team that they have least engaged in such an action with is the Los Angeles Lakers. Recently, The Athletic reporter Jovan Buha and the Bleacher Report journalist Eric Pincus pinpointed a possible reason for this: LeBron James. According to the journalists, engaging in a trade with the Lakers would only help to reportedly increase LeBron’s standing in the NBA. This would allegedly tarnish the legacy of that individual who made the Chicago Bulls the most dangerous team of the 90s: six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan.

“Their owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) doesn’t want LeBron infringing upon Michael’s legacy” revealed Pincus. “The intel is that they’re just not gonna help LeBron.”

It has been over 26 years now since Jordan was associated with the Chicago Bulls. However, he still continues to be the primary jewel of the Bulls’ crown, the man who will forever be known as the one who turned the franchise around and earned them over six championship rings. Furthermore, LeBron James and Michael Jordan are often compared by basketball enthusiasts to determine who is the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest of All Time). Therefore, in order to protect Air Jordan’s legacy, the Bulls may go to any length. This might even allegedly involve refusing to trade with the Lakers as long as LeBron continues to be a part of it.

Do you believe that there is a possibility that Zach LaVine may end up wearing the gold, purple, and white colors of the Lakers in the foreseeable future? Let us know in the comments down below.