Dating back to last season, NBA trade rumors have loosely linked LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors, giving him and Stephen Curry one last chance to play together before the two all-time greats ride off into the sunset.
After winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics as teammates, the idea of the two playing together gained some steam, with the Warriors, led by Steve Kerr, emerging as a sensible landing spot for “The King” to end his career.
However, one NBA insider seems to think the Los Angeles Lakers might switch things up and make an offer for Curry.
The Warriors, with Andrew Wiggins’ salary and plenty of draft picks, are a plausible trade destination for James should he ask out, but that’s not the only path to getting LeBron and Steph on the same team.
“Is there a possibility that it’s the other way around?” asked Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor on his podcast.
“That it’s Steph ending up in LA, because the Lakers also have Anthony Davis, they have Austin Reaves, they just got Dorian Finney-Smith, they have a pretty good supporting cast.
The Warriors feel like a bit more of a depleted team, especially if some of their young guys walk, Kuminga goes; maybe Moody doesn’t develop anymore.
They have these guys who are going to be in and out of the organization.” The Lakers would struggle to match Curry’s salary, but a deal sending Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, and rookie Dalton Knecht to The Bay would be enough for the Lakers to pair Curry and Lindy Waters III with James and Anthony Davis.
On top of that, the Lakers can swap first-round picks in 2026 and 2028 and trade or swap their selection in 2029, 2030, and 2031, which makes taking the bait a bit more palatable for the Warriors, who will inevitably have to rebuild at some point.
O’Connor clarified that Curry can’t be traded until this offseason, so the move would be impossible before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
Regardless of the crazy scenarios that are offered, LeBron and Curry are unlikely to ever suit up on the same team.
