The Los Angeles Lakers have a roster decision to make before the 2026-27 season begins, and Jake LaRavia could emerge as one of the names to watch.
Right now, the Lakers have 16 players on standard contracts, which is one more than the regular-season limit of 15. Since they need to make a move before the season starts, Morris Bankston of Pippen Ain’t Easy suggested the Chicago Bulls as a possible trade partner and mentioned LaRavia as an interesting option for Chicago.
“The Los Angeles Lakers remain a viable trade partner for the Bulls to engage in the twilight of the 2026 NBA offseason… An intriguing and risky trade opportunity for the Bulls would be acquiring Lakers forward Jake LaRavia into their room MLE to fill their 15th roster spot.”
Bulls Could Help Solve Lakers’ Roster Crunch
This situation is interesting because the two teams have opposite roster issues. Chicago has 14 players for 15 spots, while Los Angeles has 16 players for only 15 spots.
LaRavia could give Chicago a young forward with four years of NBA experience. Last season, the 24-year-old played in all 82 games for the Lakers, started a career-high 43 games, and averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.
LaRavia’s defensive skills and ability to score off the bench are reasons why Chicago might be interested. However, there are some concerns that we, as Laker fans, are very familiar with. LaRavia is not a great rebounder for a power forward, and his three-point shooting has declined since leaving Memphis.
For the Lakers, trading LaRavia is about more than just his stats. If they move him without getting another player in return, they would quickly get down to the 15-player limit. Chicago could do this by taking on LaRavia’s $6 million salary and sending draft picks to Los Angeles.
Jalen Smith Adds Another Wrinkle
There is another reason a Lakers-Bulls conversation could be worth monitoring. Chicago center Jalen Smith has also been mentioned as a possible trade target for the Lakers. Khobi Price of the California Post recently listed Smith as one of the big men Los Angeles might go after as they look for more depth behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney.
This opens up a few options if the teams discuss LaRavia. The Lakers could see whether Smith could be part of a bigger trade. Or they could go for a simpler deal in which Chicago takes LaRavia and Los Angeles gets draft picks.
The second option would help the Lakers do what they need to anyway: cut their roster from 16 players to 15.
Lakers Have a Decision to Make
None of this means the Lakers are actively shopping LaRavia or that the Bulls have contacted Los Angeles about him. Still, the Lakers’ roster crunch is real. Someone will eventually have to go, whether through a trade or a roster cut.
LaRavia has enough value that Los Angeles could prefer to explore the trade market rather than simply sacrifice another player for nothing. If Chicago sees the 24-year-old as a useful piece for its rebuilding roster, the Bulls could offer the Lakers an opportunity to turn an unavoidable roster decision into something more productive.
