The Zach LaVine sweepstakes took an interesting turn when the two-time All-Star's camp stated they no longer wanted to be traded away and wished to remain with the Bulls. This was a head-scratching request, considering he's been dangled in trade talks for over two years and has expressed frustrations with the organization much of his tenure. Nonetheless, Chicago's front office seemingly didn't redirect their intentions with their star guard despite his wishes and have continued to float his name in trade conversations. While at first, it appeared the Milwaukee Bucks or Denver Nuggets were the most likely landing spots if a swap was executed, a new team has swooped in at the eleventh hour with a newfound motivation and aggression to find common ground and complete a trade. Who is the latest suitor, and can the Bulls strike while the iron is hot?
Warriors Pivot From Vucevic To LaVine
Until today's breaking news, anyone in the NBA world would have said that Nikola Vucevic was the surefire pick from Chicago to head out west and join Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr before next Thursday's trade deadline. In a shocking move, they've turned their attention to acquiring LaVine and his All-Star snub current production. Not being named an All-Star reserve helped Chicago's chances of trading him because, as an All-Star, the price would have skyrocketed and delusional hope restored in the 20-28, 10th-place Chicago Bulls. After reports surfaced that Vucevic was too expensive for Golden State's liking, they're willing to fork up more to add the 29-year-old guard.
The Golden State Warriors have had ‘significant’ discussions with the Chicago Bulls regarding Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, per @BrettSiegelNBA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2025
“The Bulls and Warriors have held significant trade conversations through the weeks, sources said, with the focus on LaVine and… pic.twitter.com/V4uhLYCaSX
Recreating The Splash Bros
LaVine makes a ton of sense in the Bay alongside the best three-point shooter ever. He's shooting a career-best 44.6% from three-point land on over seven attempts per outing, averaging 24.0 points and 4.5 assists, and efficient scoring numbers. There is an argument to be made that he deserved the All-Star nod over Jaylen Brown or others, and if it weren't for the 20-28 record, he would probably have been selected for the third of his career. Golden State is 24-23 and currently out of the playoff picture. While they attempt the third-most three-point field goals leaguewide, their efficiency and overall offensive output are outside the top ten league-wide. Can adding LaVine bring back the most dominant three-point scoring offense of the past decade?
The Warriors are actively trying to construct three-team trades with the Bulls for Zach LaVine that would allow them to keep both Wiggins and Kuminga. pic.twitter.com/PBcW5iQqeK
— Hollie_415 (@Hollie_415) January 31, 2025
If Chicago ships away LaVine and doesn't see Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody in return, it'll be organizational malpractice. A collection of aging, worthless assets to match LaVine's salary of over $40 million would solely be a contract dump move for the Bulls. While they would undoubtedly add future draft capital and first-round stock, they should still be able to capture at least Kuminga or Moody in return for a former All-Star amid one of the best seasons of his career.
