The Golden State Warriors pursued LeBron James last year, but they got rebuffed. They have a higher chance of getting traction now if they are going to revisit it.
James sent a veiled threat to the Los Angeles Lakers through his agent, Rich Paul, Klutch Sports CEO, after picking up his $52.6 million player option.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
The Lakers made a seismic organizational pivot from James when they traded for Doncic, swapping Anthony Davis, James’ closest friend on the team and a fellow Klutch Sports client. Upon Doncic’s arrival, the Lakers quickly catered to his demands, leading to the rescinded Mark Williams trade, which didn’t go unnoticed in James’ camp.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
The Lakers have lost Dorian Finney-Smith, their top 3-and-D wing and replaced him with an unproven 23-year-old Jake LaRavia. And their answer for their most pressing need at center was to sign former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, whose questionable work ethic led to the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers souring on him.
Jimmy Butler for LeBron James
Getty Jimmy Butler III could be the Golden State Warriors’ salary ballast in a potential LeBron James trade.
If James indeed asks for a trade — if he finds the Lakers roster not sufficient for a championship run — the Warriors can become the Lakers’ easiest trade partner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Katz singled out Jimmy Butler as the Warriors’ obvious salary match for James.
“Butler makes a tad more than James does, marking the trade legal, though if it were constructed this way, it would hard cap the Lakers at the first apron, since they’d be absorbing more money than they send out in a deal. If the Lakers were fine with that, they could execute the one-for-one trade,” Katz wrote.
And even if the Lakers want to duck the first apron, roping in a third team would still be easier to execute for them and the Warriors.
“Golden State and Los Angeles could find a third team willing to take on one of the Lakers’ minimum salaries (say, Jordan Goodwin’s) without giving any salary back. This way, the total money leaving the purple and gold is above Butler’s incoming salary,” Katz wrote.
The Warriors have plenty of second-round picks to incentivize a team with cap room to absorb Goodwin’s $2.4 million salary (Hello, Brooklyn Nets!).
Steph Curry Talks Dream Pairing With LeBron James After 2024 Olympics
Stephen Curry‘s two-man game with James in the Team USA’s Olympics gold medal run in Paris in 2024 was a sight to behold.
Curry was often the recipient of James’ kickout pass which led to open 3-pointers.
Following their gold medal win, Curry posted a photo of him and James on Instagram that became viral and sparked speculations about continuing that team up in the NBA before they retire.
“I posted the picture of us holding our medals,” Curry told People.com in September. “There’s a sense of pride being an Olympian, and for him, I know he’s done it before but it’s been a minute since 2012 when he played [in the Olympics before 2024 Paris].
The longtime rivals teamed up for the first time in high-stakes games which is a lot different from their pressure-free NBA All-Star games.
“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line. … I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry said.
Then Curry did not close the door on them potentially playing together again on the floor.
“Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not,” Curry added.
Their Olympic experience in Paris lit up a fire in their bellies as they enter the twilight of their storied NBA careers.
“I think we motivated each other even more to however much longer we have left playing,” Curry said.
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