The Golden State Warriors are struggling and that is no secret. After losing on a buzzer-beater to the defending champs, the Warriors fell to 16-18 and would currently be out of the playoffs if they started today. Anyone watching knows that it is time for a change. How to go about that is the big question but clearly, a Warriors trade is on the horizon.
Make no mistake, the Warriors are dysfunctional. Draymond Green has been suspended for a good chunk of the year and when he has played he clearly struggled. Klay Thompson is not himself and his frustration boils over often, leading to Steve Kerr often speaking with him about his body language. Now, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have aired their frustrations about playing time.
Warriors Could Add Zach LaVine to Shake Things Up
Chicago Bulls Receive: Klay Thompson, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors Receive: Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Torrey Craig
The Chicago Bulls are in a free-fall. Their roster costs a ton and they do not win games at a rate that would make them a contender. Similarly, they are fighting for a playoff berth. A lot has been made about Zach LaVine and what trade he is a part of. He has only played in 18 games this season and missed all of December with an injury. Obviously, that would be concerning but a change of scenery is what the doctor has ordered.
LaVine is averaging 21 points per game and has always been a volume scorer in his career. He has been asked to be more of a shooter and take turns with Demar Derozan since the two teamed up on the Bulls. Thompson fits much better with the Bulls as he would be asked to take and make plenty of threes.
For the Warriors, LaVine can get into more of an attacking role with consistent shots. Obviously, he does not have the same three-point gravity as Thompson, but to put it bluntly, Curry needs help and quickly.
Warriors Giving Up On Youth
Evidently, Kerr is not confident in his young group. Kuminga sat the final 18 minutes of their loss to the Nuggets and complained after the game about losing confidence in Kerr. Moody and his camp are confused as to why he cannot carve out a role in the rotation. Realistically, Kerr has struggled mightily to put a good product on the court. Part of that comes from an old group of team heroes that got bigger deals than they deserved.
Caruso, Craig, and LaVine are all vets that Kerr can trust. Caruso and Craig do a lot of the intangible things that Kerr is hoping his young guys figure out. With this trade, he would not have to worry about that anymore.
Bulls Go All In On Youth
The Bulls are likely to move Caruso and LaVine at some point as this roster will be blown up by the end of the year. So, with this deal, they can take on two young guys with plenty of potential and let Thompson walk after the season. Of course, it is a matter of when, not if, the roster changes. Caruso is a popular name floated around. However, it does not seem likely that any team will give up much more than this to get him.
Realistically, this is just to shed LaVine’s contract and take a chance on a few young guys.
