LeBron James made waves following the Los Angeles Lakers' sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets by saying that he was pondering retirement. Some pundits did not buy James' statement, saying that he was either putting pressure on the Lakers front office to acquire reinforcements to fortify the team for a potential title push next season, or that he was simply taking back control of the narrative following his first-ever sweep.
Nevertheless, some could not help but let their imaginations run wild. What if LeBron James, at age 38, decides to form yet another superteam, this time with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors? Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer certainly thinks that this outcome is not out of the realm of possibility.
On the off-chance that LeBron James demands out, it will be hard for the Lakers to hold on to the future Hall of Famer. James can opt out of his contract after next season, and Bronny James, LeBron's firstborn, will enter the league in 2024. Thus, James, if he decides to continue playing, may soon opt out of his contract anyway to play with his son.
For the Warriors, they of all teams know that flags fly forever. Stephen Curry is already 35 years old, and going all-in to maximize the remaining elite years of his career is definitely in the cards. Adding James will also allow the Warriors to become an even more popular team in the world, drawing more eyes than ever with the team up of two of the greatest players of this generation.
But do the Warriors have enough assets to entice the Lakers to give up their face of the franchise?
In this exercise, we will be looking at the perfect offer the Warriors can dangle in front of the Lakers in a hypothetical LeBron James blockbuster.
Warriors trade Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Donte DiVincenzo (opts in), and 2026 GSW first-round pick to the Lakers for LeBron James and Mo Bamba
LeBron James is going to make around $46 million next season, so unless the Lakers accept Klay Thompson as the centerpiece of the trade, the Warriors will have to relinquish Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to even get the Lakers to listen. The Warriors can try all they want to package Poole with the likes of Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and Moses Moody, but the Lakers will need Wiggins in return as they will have a gaping hole at the wing if they decide to trade away James.
The Lakers will also be asking for Jonathan Kuminga, but the Warriors will want to retain the talented 20-year old. Acquiring James will be a move that prioritizes short-term gain to the extreme, so the Dubs will, at the very least, want to keep someone who can flourish in a post Stephen Curry-world.
Acquiring LeBron James, even in the twilight of his career, will cost a king's ransom. James showed that, despite clearly having slowed down from his peak, he can still impact winning at the highest level. Given James' high basketball IQ, he will also fit like a glove in the Warriors' offensive system predicated on ball movement. Seeing James work with the collective basketball IQ of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson will be such a sight to behold.
Then again, James' age makes this a very risky investment. Giving away Andrew Wiggins, the team's best perimeter defender, will hurt. But during the 2023 playoffs, the Warriors struggled to put pressure on the rim. During their season-ending defeat to the Lakers in Game 6 of the second round, the Warriors simply could not manufacture any easy buckets. Acquiring James will give them one of the best players in league history when it comes to attacking the paint.
With James and Curry's influence, the Warriors, despite their burdensome cap situation, should find no difficulties in acquiring veterans who would be willing to take a pay cut just to help the Dubs get another ring. This should help the Dubs' depth problem that was ever so apparent for the entirety of last season.
For the Lakers' side of things, they can certainly trade away LeBron James to any other willing team. But James, given his legendary status, will have his request honored, if ever he decides to ask for a trade to the Warriors.
In return, the Lakers will be getting two pieces to help them remain a semi-competitive team around Anthony Davis. Given how D'Angelo Russell ended the playoffs, acquiring Poole will give the Lakers a replacement at his position, even if it comes at a hefty contractual cost.
A Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, and Rui Hachimura core should allow the Lakers to remain in the playoff hunt for next season. DiVincenzo, should he opt in, will give the Lakers more depth at guard especially if Dennis Schroder bolts. Meanwhile the Warriors' 2026 first-rounder could be especially enticing, as the Dubs may be deep into a rebuild by then.
This possibility of a LeBron James-Warriors team up is definitely preposterous. It's difficult to say that crazier things than this hypothetical have happened in the NBA, as the internet could very well collapse if this trade comes to fruition.
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