The rest of the NBA, including the Golden State Warriors, may be paying particular attention to the Chicago Bulls ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. announced Zach LaVine will miss the rest of the season because he needs surgery on his right foot.
KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported that the Warriors were among the teams that had “inquired” about Alex Caruso's availability before the LaVine news broke on Saturday.
Johnson noted that Chicago had previously “rejected interest in Caruso due to an internal focus on competing for a playoff spot,” but head coach Billy Donovan said that LaVine would be available for the rest of the season. He admitted it was too early to assess whether his absence would change his approach.
That would make sense.
The Bulls are 23-27 and aren't a serious championship contender even with LaVine in the lineup. DeMar DeRozan is playing the final season of his contract and could require some kind of roster reset with an eye toward the future.
Considering he's one of the league's best perimeter defenders, shooting 40.5 percent from deep this season, Caruso's value probably won't be much higher than it is now. His presence on a team like Golden State would take some of the defensive responsibility off Stephen Curry's shoulders and give him more of an outside shooting presence.
It could also be a boost for a Warriors team that has dealt with inconsistency throughout the season en route to a 21-25 record.
If the Bulls can acquire multiple draft picks and young building blocks for Caruso, it may be time to make a deal.
