Star No. 4: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
The best version of Jordan Poole on the Warriors was the “Poole Party” lineup, where he played alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and was able to ride the spacing that provided into great scoring opportunities, including glides inside to the rim.
Trading Poole to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine could allow the Warriors to lean into that same idea but with a proven All-Star player in Poole’s place. LaVine is a nuclear athlete who can absolutely explode to the rim for dunks and acrobatic finishes, and the aging Warriors desperately need some athleticism added to the rotation.
The Bulls, for their part, have to make decisions about their future this offseason as well. The conservative track record of their owner suggests he won’t want to fully tear down and rebuild, but perhaps a deal for a player like Jordan Poole could represent a middle road. Would a trade package of Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and a couple of first-round picks be enough for the Bulls to get younger and start a quicker rebuild?
LaVine could be the second offensive engine on the Warriors, staggering his minutes with Stephen Curry and making truly dangerous offensive lineups together. The defensive fit isn’t ideal, but most stars on the market are going to have defensive limitations; LaVine is certainly a better defender than Poole, especially when he is locked in.