Recently, a report from ESPN's Chris Haynes emerged suggesting that LeBron James would not rule out the possibility of joining the Warriors next season, should they be able to create enough space in their salary cap. Though it was much more a general report than an actual statement of intent, the rumor mills inevitably went into a frenzy.
The prospect of a Durant/Curry/James dream team is as mouth-watering as it is frightening, but there is plenty of water that needs to go under the bridge for it to become a reality. Here are the five things that need to happen to create the super team.
5. LeBron needs to want to go to Golden State
Let’s be honest; there’s a a fairly significant feeling of animosity towards Kevin Durant for heading to what was already a superstar team, and a similar feeling towards the Warriors in general for the roster they’ve already managed to construct. No one could realistically begrudge the team for using the system to create such a team, but it’s similarly understandable that, given how much better they are than the second best team in the league, fans aren’t delighted with either them, or with Durant.
While the allure of joining one of the greatest teams of all time, and a franchise with fantastic structure, management, and stability may be strong, LeBron will not necessarily feel compelled to do so. He has in the past shown an inclination towards playing on ‘superteams’, but these have generally been ones he has helped to create, rather than pre-existing forces like the Warriors. Think the 2010 free agency period, when Wade, Bosh and James all joined Miami simultaneously. Or his return to Cleveland in 2014, after which Irving re-signed on a five year deal and the Cavs poached Kevin Love from Minnesota.
If James were to go to Golden State, it would not be well-received anywhere but in Oakland. A team which is already as close as is feasibly possible to a lock to win this season’s championship would get even better, and though the team would be fun to watch, the 2018/19 season would lose a sense of its unpredictability.
Perhaps James would relish being on what may be the greatest team of all time, but more likely, considering his past moves, he would prefer to develop a super team of his own, and one which can challenge the presently dominant Warriors.
4. LeBron needs to opt-in to his current contract
This would be the best option for virtually all parties involved. LeBron would be opting into a $35.7 million contract, ensuring Cleveland is adequately compensated for his departure, and allowing the Warriors to hold onto as much of their current roster as is humanly possible.
Chris Paul set the precedent for this last season when he opted into his $24.6 million contract with the Clippers, and was promptly traded to Houston. This deliberately executed manoeuvre was a win-win; it allowed the Clippers to receive a plethora of players and picks, including Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and a protected first-round pick in 2018, in exchange for their star point guard, while also giving the Rockets the chance to create ample cap space for the nine-time all-star.
The best way to ensure this move is possible is for LeBron to do the same thing. A sign-and-trade would be a similar route, but the Warriors would be subjected to the hard cap, meaning they would need to do a little more manipulation of their current salaries. If LeBron took neither of these options, the Warriors would need to strip their roster to shreds. Between Durant, Curry and James, Golden State would already go close to exceeding the salary cap.
As a result, Green would have to go, Thompson would have to go, and Livingston and Iguodala would have to go. Durant would also likely have to opt out of his contract and take a pay cut on what is already a very small contract for a player of his caliber. LeBron, Curry and Durant could probably play as a three-man team and still win a ring, but realistically this is an undesirable route for all parties. An opt-in from LeBron is the most likely way to make this happen, and keep everyone (relatively) happy.
3. Klay Thompson needs to go
In order to get talent, you inevitably need to concede some, and Thompson would likely be the most high-profile casualty of this move. Regardless of what move James makes to get to Golden State in this hypothetical, the second-best member of the splash brothers would be on the move. Despite his undeniable talent and stature as one of the best shooters in NBA history, he probably comes in at fourth on the list of most important members of the Warriors team – a testament to just how ridiculous their roster is.
Thompson is on around $18 million per year, and will be up to $19 million next year. In accommodating LeBron’s $36 million contract (assuming he opts-in), this would be a handy one to get off the books. Obviously it wouldn’t be enough to get the trade done; Iguodala on around $16 million would be another prime candidate to go, as would Shaun Livingston on a little over $8 million. These are nice players and Thompson is a superstar, meaning the Cavs wouldn’t be left completely high and dry.
Though The Decision in 2010 wasn’t the most popular way to leave Cleveland, it’s tough to imagine LeBron leaving again without a thought for the future of the franchise. With the option of opting in and allowing the Cavs to gain some serious talent after his departure available, this outcome becomes a little more likely.
Thompson was a founding member of the Warriors juggernaut, and has been a vital part of the team throughout their period of success. He won championships with them in 2015 and 2017, and will probably do it again in 2018. He has been an all-star for the past four years, broken scoring and 3-point records, made a couple of All-NBA Third Team’s, and formed the most potent shooting backcourt in the history of basketball. No doubt the Warriors, and the city of Oakland in general, would be sad to see him go. Presumably though, the presence of LeBron would help them to move on pretty quickly.
2. The Cavs need to not win the championship this season
At the moment, this doesn’t seem like a major concern, but in the event of a major turnaround in fortune in Cleveland, LeBron may find it harder to leave. Of course, this is not a guarantee, and he could still opt to leave the city if they somehow managed to win a second championship in three years against the very team which he is considering joining in this scenario. It would surely, though, have some bearing on his willingness to leave.
For all of their problems, the Cavs are still listed as second favorite to take out the championship. Obviously, though, they are some way behind the Warriors. Any team with LeBron on it is invariably going to be involved at the pointy end of the season, and though they have plenty of problems, he has an able enough support cast to be able to create a highly dangerous team if they work things out.
Isaiah Thomas is going at 36% from the field, 25% from downtown, and turning it over once for every 1.5 assists. Last year, however, he averaged 28.9 points, was a 38% 3-point shooter, dished out 5.9 dimes a night, and came fifth in the MVP voting ahead of the likes of Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. Clearly the guy can play, and though his hip injury may prevent him from returning to the heights of last season, he is going to improve significantly as the season wears on. Kevin Love is now out for over a month with a broken hand, but he too is a star player, despite all the negative press surrounding him. He is average 17.9 points and 9.4 boards, and prior to his injury was set to play in his fifth all-star game.
Surrounded by a number of other experienced guys, this is a very capable team. Obviously their defense is woeful, but if they can sort it out at least a little, their offense will be able to carry them a long way. Most likely it won’t be all the way to a championship, but all it takes is an injury to a key member of the Warriors and they are right in the hunt.
They are still tipped to make it out of the Eastern Conference, where they will likely face the Warriors. Even in the event that they lose, this very matchup would make it harder for LeBron to jump ship, given the wave of criticism he would no doubt face for leaving the losers for the winners. If they win though, his already powerful affinity with Cleveland would become even stronger, and he might just be a bigger chance to stay.
1. The Warriors need to want him
This may sound a little strange. He’s the best player in the land, one of the greatest of all times, and, despite all logic and knowledge about a player’s prime age, is as good as he has ever been. For the Warriors though, he’s not necessarily the best option.
Firstly, they already have what is arguably the best team of all time. They have a bunch of guys who, as well as being star players, are willing to take pay cuts to stay together, have incredible cohesion both on and off the court, and generally seem to care for one another a great deal. As a player, LeBron is as much of a chameleon as any dominant player in the league, and he would no doubt figure out a way to fit in on the floor. Off the floor, his presence would surely be valued too.
But why do they need him? The Warriors machine is running as smoothly as it could hope to. They’ll probably win a third title in four years this season, and barring something extraordinary happening, will go into next season as raging favorites as well. Durant and Curry are 29, Green and Thompson are 27 – they could feasibly keep this team together for another 5+ years while continuing to dominate. Scary for the league, great for Oakland.
LeBron is 33, and though he is showing no signs of slowing down or even being a human, logic dictates that he will begin to decline sooner than any of the Warriors current stars. Chances are, if they managed to lure him to Oakland, they would get better, even despite losing what would no doubt be a significant chunk of talent from their roster. It may take some time, but LeBron has never made a team worse.
The question is, do they need to get better? Maybe with the acquisition of LeBron they would go from winning the Finals in four or five games instead of five or six, but they would also go from a 5-7 year dynasty prospect to a 2-3 year one. Is this worth it? Probably not.
As bizarre as that sounds, the best player in the world might not be the right fit for the Warriors. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
So how likely is it?
Plenty needs to go right for LeBron to end up at Golden State. So far, all we’ve got is a relatively vague report from ESPN’s Chris Haynes suggesting that James would be willing to have a meeting with them. Whether he wants to, or they want to, or it is actually feasible, are all objects of speculation for the time being.
The team it would create is tantalising to think about though, and as such it would be remiss of the basketball world not to go crazy trying to work out just how it could happen. There is plenty that needs to happen to make it a reality, but if the things above all take place, it is a possibility. Whether it is a likely one, however, is another story.
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