Warriors reportedly tried to trade for LeBron James to pair with Steph Curry:
What the Warriors could have looked like if they traded for LeBron James
There weren’t a ton of fireworks at last week’s NBA trade deadline, but the Golden State Warriors tried to make a big move that ultimately failed. That big move?
Trading for LeBron James.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, the flailing Warriors called the Los Angeles Lakers at some point before the trade deadline to inquire if James was interested in a trade that would pair him with fellow rival and generational legend Stephen Curry. Neither James nor the Lakers were interested.
Warriors felt timing was right
If you’re the Warriors, you don’t call the Lakers about a LeBron trade at the first sign of trouble. The situation had to be just right to take a shot, and the Warriors felt they’d found it. They’re currently sitting in 10th place in the West, just a few losses away from falling out of the Play-In Tournament. The Lakers have also been faltering, sitting just one spot ahead of them in 9th.
Plus, James has appeared to be getting impatient with the Lakers in his bid to win another NBA title at age 39. There are a lot of reasons for someone to post an hourglass emoji on X (formerly known as Twitter), but if you’re LeBron James on Jan. 31 and your Lakers just lost to the Atlanta Hawks, there’s really only one reason.
Calling a team to ask if they want to trade the arguable NBA GOAT isn’t something done general manager to general manager. So Warriors owner Joe Lacob reportedly called Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to inquire. According to Woj and Shelburne, Buss told Lacob that the Lakers did not want to part with James, but they should call James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, to get a read on the megastar’s state of mind.
That was also a non-starter. Paul reportedly told both Buss and Lacob that James wanted to remain with the Lakers. So even though the Warriors had apparently put together a possible trade package, they never got the opportunity to present it.
Lacob went to Draymond Green for advice
The hourglass tweet alone reportedly wasn’t enough for Lacob to consider reaching out to Buss, so he got the advice of a Warriors player who knew James well: Draymond Green. James and Green are longtime friends, and Green had previously been involved in Golden State’s efforts to recruit Kevin Durant.
Green was reportedly on board, and since he and James are both represented by Paul at Klutch Sports, he texted Paul to ask for help recruiting LeBron. It’s not known how Paul responded, or if he even responded at all.
⌛️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 31, 2024
What the Warriors could look like with Lebron and 3 reasons he would fit with Curry:
Their play-styles are synchronous
Thanks to their amazing basketball IQ, LeBron and Steph Curry can play on and off the ball effortlessly complimenting each other’s styles. Think a modern Magic Johnson (James) and Isiah Thomas (Curry) esque backcourt duo if they got to play on the 1992 Dream Team together in the present three-point shooting spacing era. They would also still have former All-Stars Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green on the roster which is more than enough to make a potential championship run.
There is a tremendous respect between the both of them
Like the Kobe Bryant and LeBron James rivalry of the 2000s decade (1996 vs. 2003), James and Curry are more than five years apart in draft classes (2003 vs. 2009) but yet that has not stopped them from viewing one another as contemporary peers.
There are both playing at a high level
At an unprecedented level in his 21st season at age 39, James is averaging a remarkable 25 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and one steal per game with 52% field goal, 39% three-point, and 72.7% free throw percentage. Despite even more defensive attention on him due to his supporting cast inconsistency in his 15th season, Curry is averaging 28 ppg (good for sixth in the NBA), four rpg, and five apg on 46% FG, 41 3P%, and 93.2 FT%.
With James’ ageless all-around versatility and Curry’s transcendent light-out shooting and ball-handling ability, this could be one of the deadliest combos to hit the hardwood despite their age.
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