Klay Thompson trade rumors: Can Golden State Warriors acquire Zach LaVine by trading one of the 'Splash Brothers'
A Klay Thompson trade has made headlines this week amid news that Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls could be parting ways. With the Bulls struggling in the Eastern Conference, many have called for drastic change, specifically to the team's core group of players.
Out West, Golden State Warriors fans have taken note of the situation with Thompson on an expiring contract.
Despite some struggles from Thompson, the team sits with a 6-7 record. The same can't be said for the Chicago Bulls out East. They are on a 4-8 record and lost two games straight.
After several seasons of the Bulls' front office attempting to build continuity with this core group, many fans and analysts believe the time is now for the team to change course. Given the Bulls' struggles, trade talks have begun to surface, with a Klay Thompson trade making the rounds this week.
According to a report from Kevin O'Connor, the Bulls and Warriors could work together on a Klay Thompson trade for Zach LaVine. The trade would also reportedly include Jonathan Kuminga and a second-round pick.
But how viable is the package, and would either team be interested? Let's take a look.
Breaking down a Klay Thompson trade for Zach LaVine
First and foremost, for a potential trade to take place, the exchange of contracts would have to even out. In the case of this trade, there's one big hiccup. The trade would result in the Bulls crossing the tax apron of $172.3 million while hard capped.
This offseason, the team used part of their mid-level exception to sign Jevon Carter, meaning the Bulls can only take back LaVine's salary plus 10%. Based on LaVine's current $40 million per year contract, they could only take back $44 million. In this trade, Thompson and Kuminga's contracts would equal $49.2 million.
As such, the framework for a potential Klay Thompson trade for Zach LaVine could be tricky. The two teams would likely have to engage in some clever financial footwork to get things to balance out for the trade to work.
Of course, while Chicago is beginning to explore the idea of trading LaVine, the Golden State Warriors haven't shown much indication that they would want to trade Thompson. Although he is in the final year of an expiring contract, the consensus is that the team will retain him to keep their famous trio together.
Had the team let Draymond Green walk this past offseason, it would seem more likely that they would be willing to break the group up. Although Thompson has struggled recently, the history the trio have together seems likely to prevail.
The big question, of course, is who the Chicago Bulls will engage in trade discussions with.