NBA Rumors: Zach LaVine Could Be Headed To Warriors For Andrew Wiggins & Two Future 1st-Rounders
Before Klay Thompson suffered his latest injury, the Golden State Warriors were emerging as one of the heavy favorites to dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020-21 NBA season. However, with Thompson set to miss the entire season recovering from his injury, many people believe that the Warriors’ road back to title contention will be extremely difficult. If they are serious about fully dominating the loaded Western Conference and capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy next year, they should strongly consider making major moves that would give Stephen Curry and Draymond Green the help they need to have a legitimate chance of competing for the championship title.
One of the players that the Warriors could target on the trade market this offseason is Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls. According to Grant Afseth of NBA Analysis Network, the Warriors might consider sending a package that includes Andrew Wiggins, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick to the Bulls in exchange for LaVine and Tomas Satoransky.
“With high hopes and a hefty luxury tax bill, the Warriors will need to get creative to remain a threat in the Western Conference without Thompson. Exercising the trade route for an intriguing talent like Zach LaVine may be one way to help achieve this. Without having three of the NBA’s best perimeter shooters on the court together, the Warriors will have to adjust their play style. However, Curry needs to have another reliable pick-and-roll ball-handler to help initiate offense— making LaVine an intriguing option.”
Trading Wiggins and two future first-round selections would undeniably be worth it for the Warriors if it means acquiring a player of LaVine’s caliber. LaVine may not be as good as Thompson, but he’s capable of filling the huge hole left on the offensive end of the floor. He would be a very reliable scoring option next to Curry, a decent playmaker, and an elite three-point shooter for the team.
Last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity and efficiently shoot the ball from the three-point range, LaVine likely wouldn’t have a hard time fitting in coach Steve Kerr’s system.
Meanwhile, if the trade becomes a reality, it would not only be beneficial for the Warriors, but also for the Bulls. In exchange for LaVine, they would be acquiring a former No. 1 overall pick with huge superstar potential in Wiggins and a couple of future first-round selections that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. Wiggins may have had some ups and downs in his career, but being traded to a team where he’s the main option on the offensive end of the floor could put him back on the path to becoming a legitimate superstar in the league.
