I wouldn't trade Burke for LaVine strait up personally. I like LaVine, but I would hate having to potentially rely on him as a starter. For all his faults, Burke has shown that he can play AND he's a gamer. He will get better. I just hope that the new coach improves the system that he's playing in AND forces him to play within that system.
He showed a huge jump from his Freshman to Sophomore seasons. I'm expecting a similar jump for him this year.
We have Neto as well.
And even if Lavine is relied upon to play starter's minutes, it can't be worse than what we saw last year. Sure, Burke had some good games, but for the most part, Hayward was forced to run the offense, not because of Corbin, but because Burke was just too damn slow. Do you know how many shot clock violations, and low percentage late shot clock attempts we had? If Lavine has no PG skills, then a Hayward and Lavine backcourt would still be better because LaVine can actually shoot, play w/ pace, and attack the rim.
If Burke can't defend, play w/ pace, shoot, or attack the rack and draw fouls, he is wrong for our team. No matter how good of a college player he was. Undersized, underathletic, slow, and nearing 22 doesn't paint a picture of promising growth.
I thought everyone was on board with "no piece is untouchable in our quest for a star."
We don't need a superstar PG, but we do need a superstar, and at least some more positional mismatches. Lavine has that potential in spades, and can be had on the cheap. Yes, it's a gamble, but it is one i see as being well worth it.