The Lakers have been pretty mum this offseason when it comes to trades. They haven’t landed a player who could seriously boost their squad for a championship push. There’s been chatter about big names like Luka Dončić, DeMar DeRozan, and Dejounte Murray, but none of those moves have come through. Recently, the Kamenetzky brothers talked on the Locked on Lakers podcast about another star the Lakers should go after to step up their game.

One Lakers fan was all in on getting Zach LaVine, saying he’s not just a one-trick pony and way more reliable than Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell. “Go get Zach, approve an All-Star level player who can light it up and still give you 15 points on an off night,” the fan wrote, clearly feeling like LaVine was the missing piece. Additionally, Brian mentioned that a Western Conference executive also thought it would be a good move. But Andy Kamenetzky wasn’t having it. He shut down the trade hype, saying, “I think it’s a stretch to call Zach LaVine a player with no flaws.” Andy’s not convinced LaVine is the perfect fit.

“There are flaws that D’Lo has that Zach Lavine also has. You don’t like D’Angelo Russell’s defense, I promise you, Zach Lavine is not going to feel like an upgrade.” Andy added. To be objective, Zach LaVine’s defensive abilities aren’t his strongest attributes. He’s pulling in just over 4 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game, which isn’t exactly screaming “lockdown defender.” And when you stack that up against D’Lo’s 3+ rebounds and 1.1 steals per game for his career, it’s not a game-changing defensive upgrade, is it?

“Zach Lavine is a good shooter, but he is not as good of a shooter as D’Lo,” Andy pointed out. “D’Angelo Russell is a better table setter than Zach Lavine.” Stats back that up for sure. But to give LaVine some credit, he’s a way better athlete and driver than D’Lo. Still, let’s think about what the Lakers need right now. With LeBron and Anthony Davis already on board, is adding an All-Star guard who mainly scores really the fix? It might not be the answer they’re looking for. But hey, if LaVine can level up his defense, this could still work out.

Moreover, LaVine is reportedly stuck at the Bulls and continues to face difficulties in trade. Additionally, his injury has complicated things. Again, as per reports, LaVine and the Bulls teams have issues to solve, especially regarding sale. The 29-year-old player has been the subject of several trade deals and none has worked for him. While there are rumors that LaVine and the Bulls are at odds over his future, LaVine during several instances has shut them down. “I committed to the Bulls when I signed my five-year deal,” Zach told ESPN recently.

Is it fair to write off the Zach LaVine trade?

“If you believe in Zach Lavine what could happen motivated or better coached or held more accountable, I suppose there could be more defensive upside. It’s just it’s been a long time without that can getting tapped into,” Andy said, “But most guys don’t flip that switch at 30.” It’s a tough call—if LaVine doesn’t start stepping up his defense, he might not be the game-changer the Lakers need after all.

“I think Zach Lavine is not as good as Trae Young but he is I think to me at least in some ways kinda reached that similar space where the criticisms of him and particularly his contract, are such that it’s easy to think of him as much less talented player than he is. So in a vacuum, Zach Lavine comes and he is definitely an upgrade over your current third-best player (D’Angelo Russell)” Brian Kamenetzky said. He’s not throwing D’Lo under the bus, but there’s a lot of buzz that LaVine might be the more talented player, even though some stats back D’Lo. It’s a tricky situation, but LaVine’s potential could still be a big win for the Lakers.

Brian’s not alone on this—plenty of fans are hyped about the idea of LaVine joining the Lakers. But here’s the real scoop: even if the buzz around LaVine ramps up, the big question is whether he’d be down to make the switch. At nearly 30 and having spent a lot of time with the Bulls, moving to the Lakers could be his shot at chasing a championship. What’s your take?