Lakers Trade Pitch Lands Nuggets’ Jamal Murray for LeBron James

During the 2018 offseason, reports surfaced that LeBron James could’ve signed with the Denver Nuggets. However, the superstar at the time decided to pick the Los Angeles Lakers. From James’ perspective, it might not have been the worst idea. While from his viewpoint, winning only one championship with the Lakers might not be ideal, he still added another ring to his collection. 

Looking back at it, James might be a bit disappointed that he didn’t join the Nuggets at the time. The Lakers are arguably the greatest franchise in NBA history, but the Nuggets arguably have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, and thinking about that duo is exciting, even now. 

That’s why Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade idea for the Lakers to send James to the Nuggets, adding that it’d take Jamal Murray and a few others. 

“LeBron James playing next to Nikola Jokić would be hoops nirvana. Having that much basketball IQ on the floor at once would simply be unfair. Making the math work here requires giving up Jamal Murray and either one or two smaller contracts. Using Peyton Watson alone gets the deal over the hump relative to Denver’s current spot beneath the first apron. Subbing in DaRon Holmes II gets you almost all the way. The Nuggets have the teensier salaries of Hunter Tyson and Jalen Pickett to futz and fiddle with as well.

“Going from the 28-year-old Murray to a 40-year-old LeBron is quite the timeline acceleration. But Denver has already shown its all-in on the present by shipping an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Cam Johnson-for-Michael Porter Jr. trade,” they wrote.

Not the First Time Denver Pursued LeBron

The interest from the Denver Nuggets in LeBron James during 2018 was real. According to Chris Mannix, before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the Nuggets aggressively pursued James. He added that they were hoping to convince James that Denver has the talent on its roster, and he would’ve been a great fit. 

“The Denver Nuggets are aggressively pursuing a meeting with star free-agent forward LeBron James, a league source told Yahoo Sports, hoping to convince James that Denver’s talent makes the Nuggets an ideal short-term fit.

“Denver has been in contact with James’ agent, Rich Paul, and has doggedly tried to position the team as James’ best option, the source said. Paul George’s decision to re-sign with Oklahoma City has taken a potential James teammate in Los Angeles off the board, and thus far the Lakers’ talks with San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard have gained no traction,” Mannix wrote in 2018.

LeBron Spurned the Nuggets

Despite the Denver Nuggets’ interest in the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar back in the day, James admitted that he spoke with them, but nothing came of it. 

He added that there was a good relationship between the two, but he didn’t give it much thought. Perhaps a few years later, he might be thinking differently.

“He sent those throwback jerseys, I think they’re wearing them tonight,” James said after the Lakers’ morning shoot-around Tuesday. “The white ones? With the mountains, I believe, that’s on it. Said you’d look good in one of these. But we’ve been on vacation, things of that nature, we have a great friendship. But I didn’t give it much thought.”

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