Former UCLA Star Would Head to Warriors in Proposed Trade

Former UCLA star Zach LaVine could head from the Chicago Bulls to the Golden State Warriors before the NBA trade deadline.

Jan 10, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) brings the ball up court against the Washington Wizards during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls still have a few weeks left to trade Zach LaVine, and it's looking like it may come down to the wire.

The Bulls are certainly facing some obstacles here.

LaVine's contract is an issue, not necessarily because it's a deterrent, but because he is earning $43 million this season and it's a tough salary to match.

And yes: teams will certainly be leery about taking on the rest of LaVine's deal ($46 million in 2025-26 and a player option for $49 million in 2026-27) due to his injury history.

However, with the former UCLA Bruins star playing scintillating basketball this season, there are some interested clubs.

The Golden State Warriors have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for LaVine, as they are in dire need of another scorer alongside of Stephen Curry.

Well, ESPN's Chris Herring has proposed a trade in which Chicago would send the two-time All-Star to Golden State in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and the Warriors' 2026 first-round draft pick.

"For the Bulls, LaVine's play could lead them to wonder if they can extract more than a single first-round pick -- perhaps a second-round pick or two -- in a deal," Herring wrote. "Any additional assets would be incredibly useful for a rebuilding club that failed to land any picks after trading Alex Caruso and seeing DeMar DeRozan leave via free agency in the offseason."

Again, because of LaVine's incredibly checkered medical history, the Bulls are going to have a difficult time finding a hearty trade package in return for the star guard.

It has nothing to do with his production, as the 29-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 33.9 minutes per game on 51.6/45.5/80.7 shooting splits.

Those percentages are tantalizing, but LaVine's penchant for getting hurt is equally as scary.

Since the 2016-17 campaign, the UCLA product has played in 70 games just once. Last season, he appeared in just 25 contests before bowing out due to a foot injury that required surgery.

LaVine's knee issues have been the primary culprit for his missed time throughout his NBA career.

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