Lakers Rumors: Before The Trade Deadline, LA Had A Multiplayer Deal In Place With The Chicago Bulls?

One of the worst-kept secrets entering the 2018-19 NBA season was that the Los Angeles Lakers had plans to trade at least one of their expiring contracts by the February trade deadline. One of the leading candidates to be dealt was shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

According to The Athletic, general manager Rob Pelinka in late January had a tentative deal in place with the Chicago Bulls for forward Jabari Parker. The deal would have cost the Lakers two players: Caldwell-Pope and Michael Beasley.

However, there was a hangup. Caldwell-Pope needed to approve the trade and hadn't signed off on it. Meanwhile, the trade was stuck in limbo as superstar big man Anthony Davis had asked to be traded from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Because the Bulls were aware that the Lakers wouldn't make a trade until they resolved the Davis situation, they decided to move on. The Bulls eventually traded Parker and Bobby Portis to the Washington Wizards for Otto Porter Jr.

Caldwell-Pope, to much surprise, ended the season with the Lakers. Just before the deadline, Beasley was traded along with Ivica Zubac to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala. Beasley was waived two days later.

The Lakers ended the season with a 37-45 record and had a 9-18 record after the trade deadline.

Caldwell-Pope finished with the fifth-best scoring average (11.4) with the Lakers. In 25 games with the Wizards, Parker averaged 15 points per game.