A year ago, the Warriors tried to make an Earth-shattering trade for LeBron James that ultimately didn’t get very far. They haven’t given up that vision.
“The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on a Dec. 11 episode of “Get Up.”
We’ve already seen how amazing the duo of James and Curry can be after the two joined forces to win a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics. With the Lakers season going sideways, could they link up again?
Here’s what would need to happen for the unthinkable to become a reality.
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A James trade to the Bay Area is not easy to pull off for several reasons.
First, both teams are financially constrained, so there aren’t many options in terms of the salaries involved.
Second, the Warriors don’t have a ton to offer the Lakers, who could still get a great package from other teams if they ever did decide to make James available.
Third, any trade for James would likely have to include Bronny, per Lakers insider Anthony Irwin.
Lastly, James has a no-trade clause built into his contract. He’d need to want to be traded to the Warriors, and Golden State would need to retain most of its talent to keep itself an attractive destination.
With those conditions in mind, here is what a trade could look like between the two sides.
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The trade
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Lakers receive:
- Andrew Wiggins
- De’Anthony Melton
- Gary Payton II
- Jonathan Kuminga
- 2026 first-round pick
- 2028 first-round pick
- 2030 first-round pick (if it lands in 1-20 range)
Warriors receive:
- LeBron James
- Bronny James
- Cam Reddish
- Jalen Hood-Schifino
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Why the Warriors would do it
We don’t have to overthink this one. If you’re a team with championship aspirations and have a chance to trade for James, you do it.
This is particularly true of the Warriors, who have been spinning the tires on a James trade for good reason. Not only is he still an amazing player, but he’s also a perfect fit in their system.
We’ve already seen in the Olympics how devastating the James-Curry pick-and-roll can be, particularly when it’s Curry setting a screen to get a smaller player switched onto James. No guard can stop James when he’s going downhill, even as he turns 40.
When teams have doubled Curry, the Warriors have thrived with Draymond Green as a playmaker in the short roll. As amazing as Green is, James would be on an entirely different level. It would be impossible to send extra help because James would shred that defensive coverage.
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Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino would need to be included in this deal as salary filler. Reddish has turned into a good defender and a shaky offensive player. Hood-Schifino doesn’t look like an NBA player, but he’s still a young prospect who could theoretically improve.
Bronny probably wouldn’t play this year, but the Warriors did consider him a legitimate prospect and gave some thought to drafting him. Maybe he turns into something down the line.
Andrew Wiggins, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga would have to be the outgoing package to get up to James’ salary number.
The Warriors would have to give up all of their draft equity to make this type of deal work. This is everything they have. They can trade unprotected first-rounders in 2026 and 2028, along with their 2030 pick if it lands 1-20 (the Wizards already own the rights to that pick if it falls 21-30).
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Why the Lakers would do it
The hold-up on this deal would be the Lakers. Why would they want to trade James? Sure, they don’t look like serious contenders right now, but the same was true last year when they quickly shut down trade talks on their superstar player.
Let’s put that aside and consider if James did demand a trade or ownership had a sudden change of heart. In that case, this would be a pretty good package.
Wiggins has reverted to a solid starting wing in the league after a disastrous previous season. Payton is the type of defensive stopper Los Angeles desperately needs. Melton is out for the year and is simply expiring salary. The real prize is Kuminga.
Kuminga hasn’t been a consistent player in Golden State. He can certainly score, and his drives to the rim are special. Aside from that, it’s been mostly flashes of the shooting and defense he’d need to break out. Still, his combination of athleticism and talent doesn’t come around a lot.
Getting three rotation players would allow the Lakers to stay competitive and move gracefully into the next phase of their team, built around Anthony Davis. The three picks they’d receive in this deal would also let them trade for a superstar to replace James once one becomes available.
James’ no-trade clause might be the biggest sticking point. The stars would have to align perfectly, with James demanding to join Curry in the Bay Area. If he turned the screws, this deal could happen