Zach LaVine could take the Golden State Warriors back to the NBA mountaintop as soon as this season.
Warriors could form a fourth superteam with Zach LaVine
Warriors management would have to present the Chicago Bulls with a favorable offer in order to acquire LaVine. The former two-time NBA All-Star has been in the rumor mill as well as on the trade block for quite some time. He has the tools to remedy many of the issues that Golden State is currently laboring through.
It’s no secret that the Warriors need another A-class scorer. Their 4-12 record over their last 16 games testifies to that. Not only so, but Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and former All-Star Andrew Wiggins are both scoring well below their norms.
Bulls’ LaVine is a great volume-scoring fit for the Warriors
LaVine is putting up 22 points per game on only 15.8 field goal attempts per night. He’s converting 49.9 percent of his looks from the floor. The Washington native has averaged 24 points or more in four of the last six campaigns. Not only is he an uber-efficient volume scorer at the shooting guard slot, he’s also one of the best pure shooters in the league. His 3.3 three-pointers made per contest on a scintillating 44.7 percent connect rate this season fall right in line with 2.8 3PM on 39 percent shooting from outside that he’s averaged since entering his prime in 2018-19.
That in and of itself would be a recipe for success in Golden State. Pairing Curry with a relatively young secondary scorer who is not shy in the least about finding his shot, and can drop 25 on a nightly basis while doing so efficiently and keeping the floor spread in the process would likely cause them to ascend. On top of that, LaVine is one of the more clutch players in the Association. The fearless talent would take much attention away from Curry and Wiggins in crunch time.
Would Warriors part with Jonathan Kuminga for LaVine?
As for his playmaking, the 29-year-old averages four assists per game for his career. There’s little not to like about the thought of LaVine forming a fourth juggernaut unit in Golden State. In order to snag him though, it would likely take the Warriors giving up 22-year-old rising star Jonathan Kuminga.
The Dubs have staunchly refrained from making Kuminga available to other teams. Nevertheless, the Warriors would have to ask themselves if the Democratic Republic of the Congo native is on track to reach All-Stardom or better while their championship window is still open. His talent suggests so, though he’s still raw in many areas. Nevertheless, LaVine’s age, skill set, and nonpareil athleticism make him a worthy player to swap for Kuminga in pursuit of a fifth title in the Stephen Curry and Draymond Green era.
