Why the Pelicans do it:
This Pelicans roster is talented, but lacks a cohesive fit. To maximize Zion's unique talent, the Pelicans should be surrounding him with shooting. Lavine is a gifted offensive talent and has started this season red-hot from outside. His contract is large, but at the very least he will be a consistent mid-to-high 30% shooter, potentially nearing or exceeding 40%. He is familiar with playing off a ball-dominant player (DeMar DeRozan), but is also capable of working for his own shot if need be. When Dejounte Murray returns to the court, Lavine will compliment him well and will be able to guard the less threatening offensive guard most nights. Vucevic has also been scorching from outside to start the season. If he can maintain it, or at least return to closer to his career average of 34% compared to his bad shooting last year, you finally have a true stretch big next to Zion. Vucevic is also quietly one of the leagues best rebounders, and very competent making plays out of the post. The contract numbers might be scary, but Lavine and Vucevic in theory are exactly the right types of players to build a contender around Zion. Jevon Carter could be an acceptable rotation piece until Murray returns, or he could be waived or traded forward.
Starters: Murray, Lavine, Jones, Zion, Vucevic
Key Bench Players: Murphy III, Alvarado, Hawkins, Missi
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Why the Bulls do it:
A lot has been made of the Bulls being between a rock and a hard place with the contract of Zach Lavine and, to a lesser extent, Nikola Vucevic. It was widely believed that they might not be able to get off the contracts at all, let alone getting any kind of assets out of them. Both have started the 2024 season very well, and now a Pelicans roster with a lot of talent but no fit have decided to take one more big swing on Lavine and Vucevic. The expiring contracts of Ingram and Russell free up the money the Bulls will need for Giddey's new contract next season as well as hopefully being able to either eat bad salary for draft capital or signing other promising players. The Bulls manage to swing a top 5 protected pick [EDIT: changing the pick to the Pelican's own 25 first rounder lottery protected] and their own 2nd back from the Pelicans as well as a couple 2nds from LA.
Starters: Giddey, White, Ingram, Hachimura, Smith
Key Bench Players: Dosunmu, Williams, Buzelis, Russell
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Why the Lakers do it:
Lakers Coach JJ Redick just had a heated press conference in which he, in the great Lakers tradition, admonished D'Angelo Russell for poor effort and decision-making. Russell has long seemed to be the odd-man-out in this iteration of the Lakers, and the coaching staff and front office would probably be thrilled to be able to add a solid, high IQ vet guard like CJ McCollum in that starting spot instead. Hachimura has been up and down in terms of his impact in LA, but in the end the team is willing to sacrifice him to upgrade that starting guard spot.
Starters: McCollum, Reaves, Knecht, James, Davis
Key Bench Players: Vanderbilt, Vincent, Christie, Hayes, Reddish