DIMES: The surprising case for Zach LaVine
Warriors beat writer Danny Emerman shares his thoughts on the NBA offseason and beyond.
At this point in the offseason, after the run at Paul George fell through, Bulls guard Zach LaVine might just be the Warriors’ best option to upgrade their roster.
LaVine is the most talented buy-low trade candidate since Kyrie Irving two Februaries ago, for completely different reasons. And nobody seems to want him.
Everyone knows the recent injury history. Everyone knows the contract. The defense leaves much to be desired and he has only led a team to the playoffs once.
But LaVine’s value is too depressed. His exorbitant contract and the injuries that limited him to 25 games last year don’t tell the full story.
Just two years ago, LaVine played 77 games and averaged 24.8 points per game while coming off consecutive All-Star nods. From 2020 to 2023, he logged shooting splits of 48.9% from the field, 39.4% from deep and 85.0% at the free throw line. He established himself as one of the game’s flashiest and most efficient scorers.
He produced at an elite level amid consistently horrible situations. As Stephen Noh of the Sporting News pointed out, LaVine has played for six coaches in 10 years and 72 of his 101 teammates are currently out of the league. Imagine him in a Warriors context.
The three years and $138 million remaining on his max deal is scary. But it also makes him a negative asset, meaning an acquiring team would likely only need to match his salary for the Bulls to send him packing. Chicago might even attach a pick with him.
Acquiring LaVine would add talent without sacrificing scheme because he’s a knockdown 3-point shooter who can play on and off the ball. He’s not a bad passer and there’s no indication he’d be reluctant to play in a scheme like Steve Kerr’s.
Since there are obvious risks, the Warriors could conceivably trade for him while maintaining their best assets for another big swing down the line; he’d be a high-ceiling setup move.
In De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, Golden State also already added more elite defenders who could mask a player like LaVine’s weaknesses. A true No. 2 scoring option like LaVine would slot everybody else into place.
As it stands now, the Warriors have too many good players and not enough great ones.
“You’re always looking around the league, talk with teams, explore stuff,” general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said in Las Vegas. “I like our team, but there are also some things that we can look at to improve it. We’ll continue to do that leading up to camp and the season.”
Even though LaVine has had foot surgery and knee issues, he’s only 29 years old — aligning with the next two years of Steph Curry and Draymond Green under contract.
A LaVine trade would put the Warriors one move away from true championship contention. No single trade would get them there, so why not start with him?
Waiting out the Lauri Markkanen dream is dangerous. Utah could very well just hang on to him and extend him when he’s eligible on Aug. 6. Holding out for him until then risks losing out on all the available top-end talents and heading into the season with Curry, Green and 10 role players.
The Warriors can’t let Curry return from playing with the best players on the planet in Paris to a play-in roster. Dunleavy himself said maximizing the rest of Curry’s prime is “top of mind.”
The best version of LaVine is a major piece, and he appears readily available. Being too picky risks being left behind.
A Summer of Steph
For the first time ever, the entire country gets to root for Steph Curry. The Bay Area has to share him. No more gate-keeping.
After these Summer Olympics, the rest of America will understand how the Bay feels about Curry, perhaps the most fun player to watch ever.
Before the Games have even started, fans have seen Curry brave 115-degree heat to sign autographs and connect with LeBron James on a fast-break lob in Team USA’s exhibition against Canada.
Rooting for Curry is fun. If it wasn’t already, the secret’s out.
Transaction FOMO
Most of the notable free agents are off the board. Most of the likely trade candidates have been moved.
Here are five who would’ve looked good in gold and blue and who could’ve been had.
Paul George
Deni Avdija
Alex Caruso
Saddiq Bey
Naji Marshall
Fallout from new CBA
The punitive apron system’s effects are trickling down to a specific category of player: the middle class.
Take new Warriors wing Buddy Hield for example. Last time he was set to hit free agency, he inked a four-year, $94 million extension with the Kings in 2020 with some incentives.
Hield isn’t an appreciably different player now than he was then. But Golden State landed him on a creative deal that is effectively a two-year, $18 million contract. He’ll have $3 million guaranteed for a third year, and if he picks that up, a $10 million fourth-year player option is completely non-guaranteed.
It’s a creative contract structure, and one that appears extremely team-friendly.
Hield isn’t a star. But he has been a valuable role player for his entire career. That level of player used to earn four times as much as he did this time around.
For the most part, superstars are still going to get paid (Jalen Brunson anomaly notwithstanding). It’s the tier or two below them that’s going to get squeezed.