With LaVine & Vucevic Both Options, Are the Warriors and Bulls Destined to Make a Trade?
Nikola Vucevic was told to be at the top of the Golden State Warriors trade deadline wish list for weeks. Now, with less than a week to go before the big day, the big man may be slipping.
The Warriors remain on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. While they hold a 24-23 record, this is only good enough for the 11th seed in a competitive Western Conference. Even if they do manage to surpass the Sacramento Kings – who are dealing with their own major trade decision – it will be a stiff battle to make it out of the Play-In Tournament. This harsh reality has seemingly led them to consider an even more drastic trade route, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II.
“The Warriors have discussed Nikola Vučević, and league sources say the Chicago Bulls big man views Golden State as a desirable destination should Chicago decide to deal him. There are differing opinions on how well he’d fit and how much he’s needed, but he’ll remain a secondary option for the Warriors as the market materializes in the next week,” The Athletic shared on Wednesday.
While this would typically spell trouble for a trade-hungry Chicago Bulls team, it turns out Vucevic’s teammate may have been the one to push him down the Warriors’ list!
Two Bulls on the Warriors’ Radar
In the same article, Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II shared that Zach LaVine has now caught Golden State’s eye. Jimmy Butler was also mentioned as someone the organization is open to re-considering, but LaVine is reportedly viewed as the “safer” option by some within the franchise.
For what it’s worth, we have already talked a lot more about Golden State’s sudden interest in LaVine in a separate post. Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson also went on to confirm that the Warriors have looked into both LaVine and Vucevic as possible trade targets.
Still, (deep breath for the aggregation crowd), it's worth nothing Steve Kerr served as assistant coach at Tokyo Olympics when Zach LaVine and Team USA won gold
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 30, 2025
In Nov 2021, Kerr praised LaVine's role acceptance for that team: “He just got it. He understood what the team needed"
So does this mean we should all of a sudden believe LaVine is the one who heads to The Bay? Not at all. Adding LaVine would still be a massive commitment for the Warriors, as well as a much more difficult deal to get done. Vucevic has been on their minds far longer, and we all know teams oftentimes do have to pivot to Plan B or C when the deadline approaches.
If anything, what I’m taking away from this is an increased optimism that some kind of deal can get done by Feb. 6. Golden State is surely weighing a lot of options, but two of those options are on the Bulls! That feels like pretty good news for a fanbase that is terrified of another quiet deadline. This is especially true when we consider a comment K.C. Johnson made on his latest video mailbag on the Chicago Sports Network YouTube:
“I personally will be surprised if Arturas Karnisovas sits out a fourth straight trade deadline. I expect them to make at least one deal between now and Feb. 6,” Johnson said.
While there is still a lot of time for things to change, it sure feels like that one deal could be with Golden State.
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