Bulls News

NBA Trade Idea Sends $215M All-Star to Golden State Warriors

This NBA trade idea is between the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls.

Joey Linn

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) is introduced before a game at United Center.
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) is introduced before a game at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors have been hesitant to make a trade this NBA offseason that would land Steph Curry an established co-star. Still attempting thread the needle between maximizing the final years of Curry’s superstardom and preparing for a post-Curry world, Golden State is not expected to mortgage their future for a player who doesn’t fit both timelines.

This has been a very controversial approach, especially considering how the last two seasons have gone for Golden State. If the Warriors remain unwilling to move players like Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemksi, they will have to also lower their standards for the type of player they are hoping to acquire via a trade.

This dynamic makes Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine an interesting target for Golden State, because while his skillset when healthy is on par with some of the players the Warriors have shown interest in, his contract and injury history make him much less expensive.

Several reports this summer indicated LaVine has no trade market, which could make him very affordable for Golden State. In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale proposed a deal that lands LaVine with the Warriors.

Warriors Receive: Zach LaVine

Bulls Receive: Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins, Atlanta's 2026 second-round pick, Atlanta's 2028 second-round pick

Steph Curry and Zach LaVine
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) against Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported earlier this offseason that Golden State turned down a deal for LaVine that would have sent Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul to Chicago. Could the Warriors' failed pursuits of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen change their mind on LaVine?

Reportedly unwilling to part with Kuminga or Podziemski, this trade idea would land the Warriors a career 20 PPG scorer without trading either player. While LaVine is entering the third year of his five-year, $215M deal, and coming off a season in which he played just 25 games, his production when healthy is undeniable.

Averaging 24.2 points across seven seasons with the Bulls, LaVine has done so on 47.1 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from the from three. This skillset would fit great next to Curry, and could be a gamble worth taking for Golden State if Chicago’s asking price is as low as several reports indicate it is.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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