The Golden State Warriors fell to a bad loss at the hand of the Memphis Grizzlies last night, solidifying the team’s position as the 12th seed in the West as the Lakers and Jazz both won their games. The need for a trade by Golden State is becoming more evident, with the team’s record falling to 18-22, even with the return of Draymond Green. But a trade to add scoring and perimeter defense could be what the Warriors need to pursue.
The Warriors have had a major issue with creating scoring opportunities this season, with the team relying on the motion offense to get them looks that the players aren’t converting. They were winning games at the start of the season because Stephen Curry was scoring at an extremely high rate, something he hadn’t done in a month.
Adding a bonafide No. 2 option scorer along with a perimeter pest from the Bulls may be the perfect move for Golden State.
Chicago Bulls Receive: Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, 2027 First-Round Pick
Golden State Warriors Receive: Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Julian Phillips
The Warriors are reportedly looking to move off Andrew Wiggins and can send him to a rebuilding situation in Chicago where he can rediscover his game. Chris Paul has been a solid addition, but his $30 million contract needs to be moved for a player performing at a higher level, which this deal gets done.
The Bulls Pivot To Their Rebuild
The Chicago Bulls will go to the ends of the earth to secure a play-in appearance in the East, an extremely low bar for the team that won six titles in eight years in the 1990s. Even with their 19-23 record, everyone can see that the ceiling for this team is a first-round exit at the moment. It’s better to rebuild and get assets while your players have value, a case Toronto realized can change drastically in 12 months after missing the peak of both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam’s trade value.
Chris Paul is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 assists this season, being a strong intermediate point guard for them this season before inevitably moving on in the summer as an expiring contract. He’s currently injured until the second week of February.
Andrew Wiggins has a contract for three more seasons after this. Even with his disappointing 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds this season, Wiggins has the potential to become a decent wing rotation player for Chicago despite his value being low right now.
Moses Moody is the real prize of the deal. While he’s averaging just 8.7 points and 3.1 rebounds, he could be a potential future piece that can share the backcourt with Coby White. Getting a first-round pick in this deal is very positive, given LaVine’s contract and a dry market, but the inclusion of Caruso makes this a deal that can net them solid future pieces.
The Warriors Find A Secondary Star
The Warriors live and die by what Stephen Curry provides to them on a night-to-night basis. The team is 1-6 this season in games where Curry has scored under 20 points. They can’t rely on consistent production from the likes of Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins which is causing them to sink to the bottom of the West.
Adding someone like Zach LaVine is the remedy for that, as his skill set would mesh well with how the Warriors’ offense is laid out, while he also can get a bucket when required, especially in clutch time.
LaVine is averaging 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this season. He’s excellent at catch-and-shoot opportunities while also having a strong pull-up game. His scoring skill set is among the best in the NBA, and it would make the Warriors’ backcourt alongside Curry one of the most potent in the NBA. It also will force Golden State to relegate Klay Thompson to the bench, a move that they’ve needed to make for a while now.
Alex Caruso is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, capable of being a floor-setter and an excellent spacer. His inclusion would make this trade a slam-dunk win for the Warriors, as they add a versatile player like Caruso, who’s played across four positions this season. He’s averaging 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals this season.
Would Both Teams Be Happy With What They Got?
The Bulls could try and get more from trading Caruso away as a single asset due to his small contract and the fact that teams would have to give up picks to sweeten the pot. But with an empty trade market for LaVine, the Bulls can use Caruso as a sweetener to get the Warriors to not only take Zach’s contract on their books but also part with a future first-round pick. LaVine’s contract is bad but he’s still an excellent offensive player that could find his All-Star form in the right team situation.
The Warriors have a bigger hole in their frontcourt with a rotating cast of centers but nobody is good enough to solidify their role as the starter. But the Warriors showed in 2022 that a high-powered offense doesn’t need an elite center. They can use the position based on what their on-court needs are with Trayce Jackson-Davis being the most switchable, Kevon Looney providing rebounding and rim protection, and Dario Saric adding an offensive spark with his shooting.
Getting Caruso as a defender and LaVine’s scoring makes their perimeter play lethal. The Warriors have won titles based on elite perimeter play and this move gets them a step closer to finding themselves at that level again before the Steph Curry era is over.
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