The Golden State Warriors were anticipated to enter the 2023 campaign having enjoyed a successful season that saw them win another NBA title. Although young players like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole played crucial roles, the Warriors’ nucleus of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were responsible for the team’s success. The team’s successful title defense last year was impressive because that meant the core helped win 4 NBA championships until today. No doubt, they are one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
But instead of challenging this season, the Warriors are not doing too well as they sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 9-10 record. The team has been poor on both ends of the floor, and the Draymond Green incident seems to have played a massive role in team chemistry. Stephen Curry is doing his thing by averaging 31.6 PPG, but nobody else has contributed. Draymond Green is getting his share of the blame, but the man, most in the spotlight, is none other than Klay Thompson.
Thompson had a 41-point explosion against the lowly Houston Rockets on Monday, but that has been the only key highlight of the 5-time All-Star’s season. This year, Thompson is posting 17.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG while shooting 39.3% from the field, 37.9% from three, and 80.8% from the line. Anybody who has closely followed Klay’s career knows that these are below-average numbers for a man who shoots close to 46% from the field and 42% from three. Klay has an excuse in that he suffered major injuries, and it does take time to get back. But at age 32, it might not come back very soon.
Instead of hoping Klay returns to All-Star form someday, the Warriors might be better off negotiating with the Chicago Bulls to bring on board a legitimate All-Star in his prime. The name that could join Stephen Curry in Golden State is Zach LaVine, a 27-year-old who already has 2 All-Star Teams on his resume. Here is why this deal works out for both teams.
Trade Package: Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, 2023 First-Round Pick for Zach LaVine
The trade package that the Warriors will have to put together includes Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga, along with a first-round pick. The game plan is simple: swap shooting guards with LaVine but add two extra candles on the cake with youngster Kuminga who has a ton of potential and a first-round pick.
By mixing a former All-Star, a young player, and a draft pick, the Chicago Bulls get everything they need to rebuild but do so without having to gut the entire team. The Warriors will want LaVine to join Steph but need to sacrifice all three pieces of their trade assets to do so.
Klay Thompson Can Shoot, But The Warriors Need A Better Co-Star For Steph
LaVine is an All-Star, and it is clear to see by his uptick in numbers over his career so far. Besides having his best scoring season, LaVine showed he has the personality to perform in big games and simply wants to win. Gone are the days when he was just a skinny kid who is a high-flying dunker, as he can now score 20-25 PPG with ease. This season, LaVine is averaging 20.6 PPG on 41.0% shooting from the field. These are slightly below-average numbers for a player who can consistently drop 25 points in his sleep, and he is clearly not doing too well in Chicago. He is best suited to playing for a franchise that caters to his strengths as a shooter, scorer, and athlete.
LaVine gives the Warriors another elite shooter and scorer, along with someone who is box office. The Warriors want to win, but they want to play attractive basketball, and LaVine would be a wonderful fit next to Stephen Curry. Threes, dunks, and athleticism would be the case in Golden State if the Warriors were to acquire him. The sharpshooting show would commence, but Zach adds a level of athleticism that Golden State has not had in a while. Seeing LaVine and Wiggins soar through the air and come up with dunks would be far more exciting than seeing Klay struggle through shooting lulls.
No doubt, because he is 5 years younger than Klay, he would be a more valuable short and long-term option alongside Steph. Klay is clearly past his best, and the Warriors cannot afford to keep wasting Curry’s prime and not compete for a title. The fact that Thompson has not even had important contract talks could be a signal that the 32-year-old is not as valuable as he used to be, according to NBC Sports.
Rather, they can bring in a young man with unlimited energy to do the scoring to help out Steph. The point guard needs a consistent scoring partner, something Thompson is currently not. Hopefully, LaVine can bring back winning times to Golden State because Curry is looking for his 5th NBA championship.
Chicago Rebuild But Do So In Style
The Chicago Bulls might want to rebuild immediately because the team isn’t good enough to win a championship. It’s obvious that Lonzo Ball will never be fully healthy, Alex Caruso is limited offensively, and Nikola Vucevic isn’t exactly a paint enforcer. Only DeMar DeRozan can be relied upon to perform, but we have already come to know he isn’t good enough to be the best player on a championship team.
By first trading LaVine, who is their most valuable asset, the Bulls can kick-start a rebuild but actually do it in style. Klay and DeMar would be a fan-favorite duo to follow, especially since this deal gives them future flexibility as well. Jonathan Kuminga is a very valuable future piece that can become a legitimate starter in the NBA, and the Bulls can build around him.
Kuminga is a great trade piece, but so is a first-round pick because the Bulls can focus on an immediate rebuild. Klay and DeMar can sell seats until they find a new way to get rid of the latter and possibly the former. DeMar would bring in some more valuable assets, and Klay could be packaged for further deals by title contenders. The fact that LaVine seems unnerved does not help Chicago’s case for keeping him, and perhaps should just trade the All-Star after LaVine’s comments after a late-game benching situation:
“That’s Billy’s decision. He gotta lay with it,” LaVine said, per Johnson. “Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I miss some shots. But that’s his decision. He has to stand on it.
“I’ve missed a lot of shots, man. But I’ve had a lot of games where I played terrible and in four to five minutes, I can get 15, 16 points. I just wasn’t able to shoot the next shot.”
With LaVine getting frustrated with Chicago’s play and going through inconsistencies in shooting and health, a move could be best for the Bulls and the player himself. That is why, but by most accounts, this could be a win-win deal.
A Win-Win For Both Golden State And Chicago
LaVine is having a solid year by posting 20.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 4.1 APG on 37.5% from three, but is his production stagnating? He has yet to come close to competing for an NBA title and has 2 All-Star appearances at the age of 27. There is no guarantee for Zach that he will be in a position to actually win a title in Golden State, but being surrounded by Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Steve Kerr could be better for him. A sensational athlete and one of the best perimeter scorers in the league, LaVine belongs on the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors need to acquire an All-Star perimeter scorer who can create his own offense and score the ball consistently. Clearing the roster of an older shooting guard in Klay Thompson and a decent but currently unspectacular forward in Jonathan Kuminga also hands the keys to a massive opportunity to LaVine. No doubt, this deal could work for both franchises that could be heading in different directions.
For Chicago, Klay has a chance to get a welcome back story and can form a better pairing with DeMar DeRozan because he is a marksman best suited for a secondary role in the offense. This deal would work best for both sides because Chicago isn’t necessarily going anywhere as currently constructed and can rebuild once and for all. They might be wasting their time again this year, especially after they lost in the first round last year. The team is devoid of real superstars, although they have DeRozan, who is an offensive All-Star.
But Lonzo Ball’s health is in question, and Chicago does not have enough to overcome the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers in the conference. The Bulls could be in denial and simply want to proceed with DeRozan and LaVine leading the charge. But it is unlikely the team will win because there is too much talent competing in the Eastern Conference right now. DeRozan and LaVine are exceptional on offense, but they are not on the level of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, or Joel Embiid. That alone proves to be the difference, and the Bulls might be better off striking a deal to rebuild and focus on the future.
Overall, the Golden State Warriors benefit from a talented lineup formed with Stephen Curry, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney returning to compete. This lineup looks more complete and definitely younger because Zach can do a few more things than Klay can right now in his career. This is a win-win deal, without a doubt, but the Warriors are the ones who could be smiling at the end of the year by hoisting their second straight NBA championship and 5th in the Stephen Curry era.
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