The Los Angeles Lakers may be planning a complete overhaul of the roster, and flipping Anthony Davis for former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic on Saturday night could have been merely the first step.
Bill Simmons of The Ringer sent that message during an emergency podcast on Sunday, February 2, citing a source who believes that the Lakers will send LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors after making one of the most jaw-dropping deals of all time over the weekend.
“I had somebody that knows things say [the Lakers] do this, they don’t give LeBron a heads up, and then the next move is LeBron to Golden State,” Simmons said. “And they’re just basically out of the LeBron and AD business.”
James did not find out about the news of the Davis-Doncic deal until the teams made it official on Saturday night following a Lakers’ blowout win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
LeBron James Trade to Warriors, or Anywhere Else, Won’t Be Simple for Lakers
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns.
James has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he doesn’t have to go anywhere he doesn’t want.
That said, rumors about James to the Warriors were prevalent ahead of last year’s trade deadline and the Lakers star has spoken publicly in the past about an interest in teaming up with star point guard Stephen Curry. The two played together to tremendous success over the summer, winning Olympic gold in Paris as members and co-leaders of Team USA.
The trade deadline this season is February 6, which gives Los Angeles just four days to find a deal that makes sense for the future of its franchise and to which James might actually agree — assuming the Lakers actually want to deal him.
That James also has a player option on the final year of his contract in 2026-27 affords him even more leverage, as he can leave L.A. of his own accord this summer and the Lakers would get nothing in return. That stipulation also means any potential trade partner for James will need to know he’s interested in remaining with the franchise for at least next year, and potentially beyond depending how long the 40-year-old plans to keep playing in the NBA.
A third wrinkle in the circumstances surrounding James and the Lakers is the four-year, $8 million contract that second-round pick Bronny James, his eldest son, signed with the Lakers ahead of this season.
Warriors Must Be Judicious in Any Trade, Including for LeBron James
Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State is currently 24-24, tied with the Sacramento Kings for the 10th-best record in the Western Conference. However, the Kings own the tiebreaker, meaning the Warriors wouldn’t even be in the Play-In Tournament if the postseason began today.
The Dubs need to make a deal ahead of the trade deadline if they hope to contend this year, though both Curry and the front office have said publicly that the team doesn’t want to make a trade that only makes them incrementally better.
Whether the Dubs consider a trade for James, an All-Star starter this year, as a path toward legitimate contention remains to be seen, though the Warriors and Lakers will need to turn over their whole cards in the next few days.
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