The Golden State Warriors have long been rumored to be looking for a second star to pair with Steph Curry, and those talks have only intensified in recent weeks amid the team’s struggles this 2024-25 season.

While Golden State continues to compete for a playoff and play-in spot, they look nowhere near being a contender. Sure enough, a borderline postseason team is now how they imagined their campaign would be, especially in the remaining prime years of Curry.

In fact, after the Warriors lost to a Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat, several fans have urged Curry to demand a trade and give himself a chance at a championship with another team.

As the Dubs look for ways to turn their season around and elevate themselves to contender status, though, ESPN proposed a trade idea that could make that happen.

In the proposal, the Warriors send Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Zach LaVine.

While Golden State’s depth would take a hit in the trade idea, the team will get a capable star who is having one of the best seasons of his career.

“LaVine has thrived when he has called his own number this season, shooting 49.5% and notching 116 points per 100 possessions on iso plays, which put him in the league’s 91st percentile,” the ESPN report highlighted while explaining the rationale for why the Warriors should make the trade.

“That is music to any suitor’s ears, particularly a team such as Golden State that wants more reliable production beyond future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry.”

The ESPN report further emphasized that LaVine is exactly the kind of player that will do well in Steve Kerr’s offensive system: someone who “has shown the ability to effectively play off the ball as an elite catch-and-shoot option and a cutter.”

Of course, there might be concerns from both teams that could hinder them from pulling the trigger on the trade idea. LaVine, who is under contract until 2026-27 after signing a $215 million deal in 2022, could generate a bigger return for the Bulls if he maintains his current high level of play.

As for the Warriors, parting with key members of the team like Wiggins, Payton and Looney could be too much, especially since the three were part of their 2022 championship team.

For now, fans can only wait and see what both teams will do as they navigate the season.