In a shocking turn of events, it has been revealed that both the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers made a bid to acquire LeBron James at the trade deadline. According to a report published on Wednesday morning, the Warriors made a serious attempt to bring the Lakers superstar to their team. However, James ultimately expressed his desire to remain in Los Angeles, at least for now.
The trade talks began with a call from Warriors owner Joe Lacob to Lakers owner Jeannie Buss. Buss was not interested in a deal unless LeBron himself wanted out of Los Angeles. This possibility seemed plausible given James’ social media activity leading up to the deadline. He had tweeted an hourglass, symbolizing impatience as the Lakers’ time to make a big move was running out. Additionally, James had remained silent about his potential free agency this summer, adding fuel to the speculation.
Buss referred the Warriors to LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, who also represents Warriors player Draymond Green. Interestingly, it was Green who encouraged Lacob to pursue James in the first place. Green even sent a text to Paul, trying to convince him to sell the idea of joining forces with Stephen Curry and the Warriors to LeBron.
The Lakers saw this as an opportunity to gauge James’ commitment to the team. In the end, it was confirmed that James had no interest in a trade and wanted to remain a Laker. Both Lacob and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. received this message from Rich Paul. Similarly, when Dunleavy Jr. reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, he was informed that the Lakers intended to keep James.
The potential partnership between LeBron James and Stephen Curry would have undoubtedly broken the internet. While both players are not at their prime anymore, they are still considered legitimate superstars and their skillsets would complement each other perfectly.
The question arises: who would the Warriors have had to trade to acquire James? They could have potentially offered two future first-round picks, along with Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins to match the salary. Alternatively, they could have built a trade package around Klay Thompson. On the other hand, the Lakers would have likely asked for Jonathan Kuminga in return.
However, despite the discussions and inquiries, no deal was made. It is worth noting that the Warriors were not the only team to express interest in acquiring James. Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey also reached out to the Lakers about the possibility of a trade. Morey’s bold trade calls are well-known, as he previously inquired about the availability of Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns.
While no deal materialized, it is intriguing to consider what could have been. The fact that two heavyweight franchises made a bid for LeBron James speaks volumes about his stature in the league. It also highlights the desire of teams to acquire a player of his caliber.
As for now, LeBron James remains a Laker. However, this won’t be the last time we speculate on the possibility of him joining another team. With the offseason approaching and James holding a player option, there may still be opportunities for teams to make a run at him. Only time will tell where James’ future lies, but for now, he remains firmly planted in Los Angeles.