LeBron James and Steph Curry marked the 2010s in the NBA. LeBron won three titles during that span, as did Curry. Steph won his fourth ring in 2022, matching LeBron’s number as he won his fourth in 2020. These two helped lead Team USA to the gold medal in the Paris Olympics, and now, there are rumors they could play together again. Here is the latest talk about a LeBron to the Warriors trade.
ESPN Insider Says LeBron to Warriors is a Perfect Match
This is not the first time there have been reports about the Warriors pursuing LeBron James. That story came out during last year’s NBA trade deadline. Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne reported the possibility of the Warriors trading for LeBron.
Now, ESPN’s insider Shams Charania reports that the Warriors are looking to make a trade for a star. Speaking on NBA Countdown, he said,
“The Warriors are on the real hunt for a star, a playmaker, a scorer, alongside Stephen Curry. For them, they are going to find that externally outside of this roster currently, or will be in-house, with a player like Jonathan Kuminga.”
That sparked the conversation, and long-time NBA reporter Michael Wilbon instantly resurfaced the idea of a LeBron-Curry pairing. He said,
“Let’s cut to the chase. All those assets are great if Steph and Draymond were 31 and 32 years old. You could sort of wait on them, and I love Kuminga. But they are not 31 and 32 years old. You’re talking about maximizing now. They’re not catching Oklahoma City, they are not catching Dallas with the personnel they have currently assembled. But if you tell me, if anybody watched the Olympics this summer, and you watched LeBron James and Steph Curry play together, how can you not want to see that? I’m not saying it’s easy when you tell us how possible it is, if at all. But you tell me, the Lakers stink. Is LeBron going to ride out another season like that? Why would he?”
Can the Warriors Trade for LeBron?
Per the Stepien Rule, the Warriors have two tradeable first-round picks, and they can offer a third one with protections.
They can trade their 2026 and 2028 picks without violating the Stepien Rule. They owe their first round in 2030 to the Wizards due to the Chris Paul – Jordan Poole deal. That pick is protected though 1-20. The Warriors can do reverse protections on the 2030 pick and include that one in a deal as well. Then, they can also make swaps in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031. Of course, that would mean selling the farm. But if they want to get a player of LeBron’s caliber, that is what you have to do.
The bigger challenge is salary. James is the NBA’s 14th highest-paid player for the 2024-25 season, earning $48.7 million. Because of the apron rules, the Warriors cannot take back more than $500,000, and the Lakers cannot take back money as well. For example, a package including Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II has a combined salary of $46.5 million. They are still two million behind. Another combination could be Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton (expiring contract), and Trayce Jackson-Davis. That deal actually makes sense salary-wise, as they have a combined salary of $48.4 million.
Will This Trade Ever Happen?
If this trade ever happens, it will certainly be one of the biggest in league history. On paper, the Warriors do have assets to trade for a star. Yet, the new apron rules complicate things. Brian Windhorst explained it during the latest episode of NBA Countdown, saying,
“I would be lying if I said there hasn’t been some conversations in the league, would LeBron at some point this year revisit that? I just want to say a couple of things. First off, any trade that the Warriors make is going to be complicated. They have only $500,000 that they’re allowed to spend [in additional salary cap]. Any trade that they make, they really can’t take on more money. Guess what? The Lakers are not allowed to take on any money. It’s possible if LeBron wanted it. Also, LeBron has a no-trade clause.”
Windhorst also mentioned that in the last 10 months, LeBron has had an opportunity to leave the Lakers if he wanted. Once was the first reported Warriors trade, and then this summer, he was a free agent and could have signed with any other franchise. But if the Lakers continue to sink, he might revisit that idea.
Rich Paul, the Dream Crusher
The last time this trade scenario got traction was during the 2024 trade deadline. But at the time, it was Rich Paul who urged both sides to stop talking about the deal. He thought that LeBron’s legacy will suffer even more if he switched teams again. Plus, Kevin Durant did the same thing several years ago.
All that being said, both LeBron and Curry have spoken about how much they enjoy playing with each other. In September, Curry openly talked about how much he enjoyed playing with LeBron, and left the door open to team up again in the future.
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