A Warriors-Bulls trade for GSW to buy low on All-Star after Lauri Markkanen miss

The Golden State Warriors were delivered a solemn blow on Wednesday, when Lauri Markkanen's extension with the Utah Jazz was officially announced. The Finnish 7-footer will accrue $238 million across five years as his new deal extends through the 2028-29 campaign. Good for him. It's well deserved.

Of course, Utah's decision to extend Markkanen comes after weeks, really months of trade rumors involving Golden State. The Warriors really wanted to pair Markkanen with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but their reluctance to part with 21-year-olds Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga proved fatal to that ambition. The Jazz weren't going to trade with Markkanen unless the Warriors mounted a true godfather offer.

In the wake of Markkanen's splashy new contract, the Warriors are expected to pursue "smaller-scale deals," according to Shams Charania, Anthony Slater, and Tony Jones of The Athletic. There is "no appetite" for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine — A.K.A, "the other All-Stars" still floating around the trade mill.

That said, there is actually a compelling case for Golden State to dial up the Chicago Bulls and discuss a LaVine trade. That contract is rough, but it will get gradually less catastrophic as the NBA's new TV deal takes effect. The cap ceiling around the league is about to skyrocket.

Moreover, the Bulls are practically trying to give LaVine away. That relationship has soured past the point of no return. We've seen thinly-veiled potshots from the Bulls front office, as well as reports that LaVine wants out, bad. Golden State can fix that situation in one fell swoop and perhaps get a few extra benefits in the process.

Warriors-Bulls trade to offload Zach LaVine's contract next to Steph, Draymond in Golden State

This is pretty much a salary dump for Chicago. The LaVine discourse has swung way too far negative — he's still a damn good player, thus why Golden State should take interest — but that contract is an albatross, even under the most generous of interpretations. With LaVine's injury history and well-documented shortcomings, there is no way for Chicago to return the traditional "positive value" that we would associate with trading an All-Star.

Golden State essentially offloads their own questionable contract in Andrew Wiggins. The Bulls desperately need size and defense on the wing. Even if he's a bit pricey, Wiggins could prove valuable during the early portion of this Chicago rebuild. The Bulls aren't going to contend in the next few years, so the length of Wiggins' contract (three years, $85 million remaining) shouldn't prove too detrimental.

He is straight up a better fit for Chicago's current needs than LaVine. The opposite is also true. LaVine provides Golden State with a much-needed infusion of shot-making, athleticism, and live-dribble creation to ease the burden on Steph. LaVine is also another elite volume shooter to add to the Warriors' increasingly impressive collection of snipers.

Golden State also receives Dalen Terry, a 22-year-old, 6-foot-7 wing worthy of developmental interest. Add in three second-round picks to sweeten the pot, as the Warriors get enough net value to offset the cumbersome nature of putting LaVine's contract on the books.

Chicago also gets a slew of expiring contracts in addition to Wiggins. Both Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney are bonafide rotation pieces who could return value in separate trades, while Gui Santos flashed in brief moments as a rookie. The Bulls are fleshing out their rotation in key areas with this trade, planting a proper backup center behind Nikola Vucevic and boosting their defense on the wing.

This trade actually works for both sides. Golden State takes a bold swing and bets on LaVine's talent meshing with the current core. We haven't seen LaVine in an established winning environment before. He would have a chance to profoundly change the narrative around his career. Chicago, on the other hand, gets a long-overdue fresh start.

Let's call it in.