Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Robin Lopez is unlikely to join the Lakers ahead of the buyout deadline

What's the story?

The Chicago Bulls failed to offload Robin Lopez ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month, although the veteran center continues to be linked with a buyout move to teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers.

Time is running out for Lopez to maintain playoff eligibility as the veteran must agree to a buyout by Friday in order to feature in the 2019 postseason. Evidently, if a buyout is not agreed in the next 48 hours, Lopez is likely to stay with the Bulls, and Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald is reporting that at this point, a buyout 'seems very unlikely'.

In case you didn't know...

Lopez has been a key figure in Chicago since signing with the Bulls back in 2016, and up until this season, Lopez had never slipped out of the teams starting five. Nevertheless, Lopez has spent much of the 18/19 campaign on the sidelines, starting just 15 times, and the center is currently averaging less than 20 minutes per game.

The heart of the matter

Lopez is a California native who would jump at the chance to return to Los Angeles. The 30-year-old is also enjoying a purple patch of form, as last night Lopez dropped 26 points in 34 minutes against the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks.

Nevertheless, the Bulls can no longer get anything back in return for Lopez, and agreeing to a buyout makes little sense for the struggling franchise. Ultimately, Lopez looks destined to leave the Bulls when his contract expires in the summer, although it is unlikely that Lopez will be allowed to link up with LeBron James and company for the final weeks of the season.

What's next?

The Lakers will tonight host the New Orleans Pelicans, as Luke Walton's men look to bounce back from disappointing back-to-back defeats.