Nearing the NBA Trade Deadline of Feb. 6, the Warriors have been one of the most talked about teams. In the pursuit of pairing a star player with Stephen Curry, GM Mike Dunleavy, and Co. have yet to find success. Meanwhile, the franchise parted ways with veteran guards like Klay Thompson and Chris Paul.
Going into the 2024-25 season, the Warriors front office made several attempts to add star power to its roster. The reported potential candidates were Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, and Zach LaVine. Unfortunately, none of the talks materialized, something owner Joe Lacob needs to rectify soon. As per the recent developments, the Bulls could look to re-enter the trade market with LaVine. Making this a perfect opportunity for the Warriors, who continue to sink post a 12-3 start to the season to rectify waiving off CP3 for nothing in return.
Warriors Can Rectify Chris Paul Mistake by Trading for Star Guard Zach LaVine
CP3’s Exit From the Bay Area
The Point God’s stint with the Warriors didn’t go as planned, failing to find his footing on coach Kerr’s roster. Coming off a disappointing 2023-24 season, the management had to make a couple of tough decisions, which included letting go of Paul. While this cleared cap space for the Dubs, they lost out on an opportunity that could have potentially landed them LaVine. Last summer, NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported how the Warriors weren’t ready to part ways with CP3 and Andrew Wiggins in exchange for LaVine.
Well, looking at how things have transpired for the Warriors so far, it’s safe to say that the front office had an error of judgment. Nonetheless, there exists a possibility to readdress this oversight. The Bulls seem open to listening to offers for LaVine, especially as they aim to keep their top-10 protected pick.
The Bulls are once again canvassing the trade market on Zach LaVine.
LaVine is on a heater over his last five games averaging 32.8 points while shooting 42.4% on threes.
Even with a massive contract, LaVine would be a dynamic scorer on a contending team. pic.twitter.com/FBeFS83NSV
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 11, 2025
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One cannot deny that, as presently constructed, the Dubs appear to be nothing short of a sinking ship. The good news is that the Warriors have plenty of draft assets and talent to make an intriguing offer for LaVine or another star. There is a likelihood of Lacob being compelled to package Jonathan Kuminga in this trade.
LaVine’s Impressive Start to 2025
Punching his way through the New Year, LaVine has recorded 30+ points in each of the six games played so far in January. Over this span, the two-time All-Star shot 58.0% from the field, including 46.3% from the three-point line. Peaking just ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the Bulls guard has uplifted his stocks.
Zach LaVine over his last 6 games:
36 PTS – 10 REB – 4 AST
33 PTS – 5 REB – 67% FG
31 PTS – 4 REB – 4 AST
35 PTS – 10 REB – 8 AST
33 PTS – 4 REB – 7 AST
32 PTS – 3 REB – 2 STLWe need to talk more about this…
(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/aVCxrSgkVp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 12, 2025
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What makes this scenario more intriguing is Golden State remains to find its breakthrough trade. On a five-year $215M contract, LaVine has more than two seasons left. Irrespective, the question that arises is how far would Lacob be willing to go, especially over the assets involved in the deal.
Making a rerun at LaVine, Dub Nation faces stiff competition from the Lakers. The Purple and Gold franchise appears to have reached out to the Bulls. Draft capital will play a solid role in this quest. An interesting thing to note is the 29-year-old guard’s teammate and center Nikola Vucevic finding himself in a similar situation, including the suitors.
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