The Chicago Bulls fell to a 19-27 record on the year in a 109-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Having dropped eight of their last 10 contests, the Bulls are now just one game ahead of the 76ers for the No. 10 seed, the final spot in the Eastern Conference standings that qualifies for the play-in tournament bracket in the spring.

Armed with All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid (a third anticipated All-Star, 34-year-old small forward Paul George, seems to have fallen from that level this season), the 76ers seem talented and capable enough of rising into the play-in tournament bracket this year.

The Bulls and the 22-22 Miami Heat, the East’s No. 8 seed, seem to have the most tenuous holds on their standings in the conference.

By letting six-time All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan depart via a sign-and-trade and ditching All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey, Chicago seemed to be amenable to a rebuilding season heading into 2024-25.

But the team has been “fun-bad,” thanks to solid play from two-time All-Star small forward/shooting guard LaVine, two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, and guards Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Giddey.

In the mediocre East, the Bulls are good enough to have at least a shot at the postseason.

That may satisfy majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf, although it won’t excite Bulls fans. If the team is bad but not terrible, it may miss out on retaining its own lottery selection this year. Chicago owes a top-10-protected 2025 draft pick to the San Antonio Spurs.

It may behoove the Bulls to get worse sooner rather than later, which would improve the team’s odds of keeping its pick in what’s expected to be a loaded draft.

The quickest way to get worse in a hurry – beyond playing power forward Patrick Williams even more minutes than head coach Billy Donovan already allocates – is for Chicago to trade some of its best players for future draft assets.

Chicago’s top trade asset is the team’s best player, LaVine. The Golden State Warriors have been linked to almost all of the top names that have been floated as prospective trade pieces since the offseason, from Jimmy Butler to Lauri Markkanen.

It’s been rumored that Golden State may look to preserve its best assets until this summer in a potential bid to acquire two-time MVP Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But if the Warriors don’t want to wait that long, and to maximize their window with aging 11-time All-Star point guard Stephen Curry still playing at an All-NBA level this year, LaVine could be a pretty great fit.

He could thrive next to Curry, as the best pure scorer the latter has played with since Kevin Durant. Curry’s former “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson, as great as he was in his All-Star prime, was never much of a creator off the dribble. That said, Thompson was an All-Defensive Teamer when Golden State was winning championships. LaVine, despite all his athleticism, is a minus on that end of the floor.

The 22-23 Warriors are currently just the No. 11 seed in the West. Granted, they’re just four games behind the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds, the 25-18 Los Angeles Lakers and the 26-19 L.A. Clippers, and thus a win streak away from getting firmly into the mix for a lower playoff seed. But they don’t exactly look like the star-studded 2017 and ’18 squads that obliterated the rest of the NBAi.

Bringing the Bulls great aboard wouldn’t solve all of Golden State’s current problems, but it would certainly raise their ceiling.

LaVine is a threat from all over the court. He’s a great fastbreak finisher around the rim, and not just on dunks:

The 6-foot-5 UCLA product is also a knockdown jump shooter and can convert off the catch or by dribbling into his shot with equal aplomb.

The Bulls need to thoroughly clean house. And the Warriors have the kinds of young pieces and draft picks to help them replenish their own asset base.

Via Spotrac’s NBA trade machine, here’s a potential deal that could benefit both sides.

Bulls Receive: Small forward Andrew Wiggins, power forward Jonathan Kuminga, center Kevon Looney, Warriors’ 2026 and 2028 unprotected first-round picks, a 2031 first-round pick swap, Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick

Warriors Receive: Wing Zach LaVine

Chicago would be gambling here that Golden State will fall off by at least 2028. Since Curry will turn 40 during the 2027-28 season, and even LaVine – who has already had multiple major knee surgeries – would be turning 33, that seems highly possible.

But in the short-term, a LaVine deal could help re-open the Warriors’ championship window. The team would be able to trade its 2032 first-round pick this summer and has other contracts it can leverage to add more help, or at least carve out room to sign a major free agent.

This year, LaVine is averaging 24.0 points on elite .512/.444/.792 shooting splits, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 41 healthy games. He can score at all three levels, is a solid passer and rebounder for a wing, and can thrive on or off the ball. Watching him operate with the kind of space he’d get by playing next to Curry would be quite something to behold.

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