The Golden State Warriors hopes of landing 2x All-Star have officially disappeared on Sunday, with the Chicago Bulls sending the dynamic guard to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal that lands De'Aaron Fox with the San Antonio Spurs.
LaVine had emerged as arguably the biggest trade target for the Warriors over recent days, and it's since been reported that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office had discussed acquiring both he and Bulls teammate Nikola Vucevic in what would have been a blockbuster trade.
The Warriors passed on a potential franchise-altering trade
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, "the Warriors did seriously explore trade constructions that would have brought both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević to the Bay Area before Golden State opted to focus on other trade pursuits."
Any trade where Golden State acquired both LaVine and Vucevic would have likely included nearly all of Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson, or perhaps even some of their young players starting with Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody.
Whatever the trade looked like, it appears that the Warriors failed to meet the price set by the Bulls and therefore led to both sides moving on. The Warriors would have drastically shifted their team, bringing in two starters that may have left them with an opening five of Stephen Curry, LaVine, Kuminga, Draymond Green and Vucevic. Alas it's a moot point now as Golden State move on and LaVine finds himself in Sacramento.
Perhaps the biggest note from this going forward was the conclusion -- "other trade pursuits." Where does this leave the Warriors? Is there still a chance they go back to Chicago and try to execute a deal for Vucevic alone?
Talks with the Miami Heat on Butler have officially ended, so where do they go from here? What are the other trade pursuits Stein is referring to? Do Golden State have a blockbuster trade in the works that no one knows about? Anything is possible after the mind-boggling Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade that everyone is still trying to wrap their heads around.
For right now though Warrior fans are growing frustrated of their middling .500 team for not making the necessary moves to shake up a team that quite clearly isn't going anywhere as presently constructed. Dunleavy would want to have something up his sleeve over the next few days, otherwise the frustration and disappointment will only grow louder.