Why come up with this? The Lakers need a center currently as their depth chart is thin just including Christian Koloko and Jaxson Hayes and DFS is labeled backup center on ESPN. That's a problem considering the talent in the western conference at the center position. It contains Jokic, Sengun, AD, Sabonis, Gobert, and other solid centers like Draymond. Hayes obviously doesn't compare to any of those but he has been solid since the Luka trade. Jalen Smith is a solid backup center but he isn't a starter but he can bring good depth. Jarred Vanderbilt is making 10 million per year just to average 3 points. Vanderbilt is a very solid defensive talent but isn't great on the scoring side. Smith is a solid rim protector, he is a good rebounder as he is averaging 5.5 rebounds this year off the bench.
Why the Bulls do this: The Bulls have a bottom 6 defensive rating and Jalen Smith is more of an offensive center than he is defensive. Vanderbilt is known for his defensive and is a solid player and brings good depth to any roster. They get draft capital out of the deal as well. Sure a downside is Vanderbilt has a bad contract but he is a nice trade piece to throw in a deal. The Bulls roster is a very offensive roster as they have guys like Huerter, Collins, Vucevic, Giddey, and other depth pieces who aren't known for their defensive ability. They also clear up their logjam at center as they already have Vucevic and Collins under contract. Vanderbilt can guard positions 1-4 as he is versatile and brings speed and strength to the table. He is great on the perimeter which is harder to find now a days as more people are shooting three pointers. He sticks to the offensive guy almost always disputing their drives to the basket. However both are good defensive players Vanderbilt is better in different ways which the Bulls could use to make a playoff push in the future.
Why Lakers do this: They recently traded Anthony Davis to Mavs for Luka Doncic in a shocking deal meaning in this deal they loose there center. They have Jaxson Hayes but they did get Mark Williams at the deadline but it got rescinded. They also don't need Vanderbilt as they already have guys like Knecht, Hachimura, and DFS as there wings. They also don't have a backup center which they need desperately. Smith isn't a name but he can bring some things to the table that the Lakers didn't have before. He brings rim protection, scoring, and he is a good all around player. He is still young and is on a decent sized contract. He could just be rental as he seems to have some nice trade value.