NBA Insider: The Los Angeles Lakers discussed trading for two All-Stars

Would either team do that deal?

It’s been reported that the Lakers are against moving both of their remaining tradeable first-round picks, and that may close the door on them moving Westbrook. To be clear, I wouldn’t trade those picks either since the Lakers could very well be only a few tweaks away from going on a run, and if you squint, you can make out a playoff team. James is still James, Davis is having his best season in recent years, and Westbrook isn’t nearly the net negative he was last season.

Additionally, Lonnie Walker and Austin Reaves have been good. Patrick Beverly hasn’t, but he has a $13 million expiring contract, and by moving him to acquire a shooter, it would swap out a weak link. Given how competitive the West is, the Lakers still have plenty of time to right the ship, and if they can string together even a five-game winning streak, that could put them in the thick of the West playoff race.

As for the Bulls, they could still make the playoffs this season, but their ceiling doesn’t appear to be much higher than that. Vucevic will be a free agent this summer, and they’ll have a chance to reassess where they stand then.

All in all, this potential trade is probably much better for the Chicago Bulls than it is for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Lakers appear to at least be entertaining the thought of adding two all-stars.

Despite that, I think both teams would say no to such a deal. The Bulls will likely try to right the ship, and the Lakers will likely make a smaller deal.