New Insights on Lakers-Warriors Trade Talks Involving LeBron James
Fresh details have surfaced regarding the Golden State Warriors’ attempt to trade for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James at the recent trade deadline. According to NBA insider Marc Stein on Substack, the trade discussions were halted before they could gain momentum due to the intervention of LeBron’s influential agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Stein reports that while the Lakers might have begrudgingly considered trade talks with the Warriors if James had expressed interest, the discussions never advanced beyond the initial stage. This was largely due to Paul’s strong opposition to the idea of James moving from Southern California to Northern California.
“It is believed that the Lakers would have reluctantly entertained trade conversations with the Warriors before last February’s trade deadline if James wanted them to seriously engage Golden State on a potential deal. Yet league sources say that the reported talks between the teams at the time never got that far in large part because James’ agent Rich Paul was adamantly opposed to the idea of James swapping Southern California for Northern California,” Stein wrote.
According to Stein, Paul was concerned about protecting James’ image, particularly in the context of his legacy and public perception.
“Sources say Paul implored both teams to scrap the concept — despite some owner-to-owner dialogue between the Warriors’ Joe Lacob and the Lakers’ Jeanie Buss and Green’s determination to lobby James to push for relocation to the Bay Area — largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career,” Stein explained.
LeBron James himself later addressed the trade rumors, stating that he was unaware of the talks until they became public.
“It [the trade talks] didn’t go far at all,” James said during a February 18 appearance on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” “I actually heard about it when everybody else heard about it. Obviously, you know, Charles [Barkley] has been in the league, Kenny [Smith] has been in the league, Shaq has been in the league… and sometimes, there’s conversations that happen behind closed doors that you don’t even know about.”
STEPH WAS ICE COLD DOWN THE STRETCH. 🥶
Four three-pointers in TWO MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS to close out France for the gold medal. 🥇 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2dR7UUE0Hn
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
The Dream of a LeBron James-Stephen Curry Partnership
The possibility of LeBron James teaming up with longtime rival Stephen Curry has sparked widespread speculation, especially after their successful collaboration during Team USA’s gold medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The duo’s on-court chemistry, particularly their effective two-man game where James served as Curry’s ball screen partner, has fueled dreams of seeing them play together in the NBA.
One of the key highlights of their partnership was during the gold medal match against host France, where Curry’s barrage of 3-pointers, often set up by James, played a crucial role in securing the victory.
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks outlined a potential scenario where this dream could become a reality.
“LeBron James signed a two-year contract this past offseason, and with the two-year contract, there’s a player option there,” Marks said on “NBA Today” on August 13. “He has a player option; he can become a free agent once again next offseason and pick the team that he would want to go to.”
Marks also pointed out that James would have to leave $50 million on the table if he chose to join a team like Golden State. Additionally, both James and Curry could potentially be free agents in the summer of 2026, creating a window for them to team up.
Is there a realistic path for LeBron James and Stephen Curry to team up? @BobbyMarks42 says to keep an eye on the summer of 2026 👀 pic.twitter.com/LcWKZfHxiX
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 13, 2024
LeBron James Likely to Stay with the Lakers and Bronny
Despite the tantalizing prospect of a James-Curry partnership, Marc Stein suggests that it’s unlikely to materialize. The strong performance of Curry and James as Olympic teammates has indeed sparked much discussion, but the reality of James leaving the Lakers appears slim, especially after the Lakers drafted his son, Bronny James, with the No. 55 overall pick in June.
“The strong play of Curry and LeBron James as U.S. Olympic teammates has inspired countless articles and TV segments in recent days about how great it would be to see them hook up as full-time NBA teammates,” Stein wrote. “The notion of James leaving the Lakers, however, has long been regarded as a long shot and is obviously even harder to imagine now than it was previously after the purple and gold drafted his son Bronny James in June with the No. 55 overall pick and duly signed Bronny to a four-year contract.”
Lakers’ new head coach JJ Redick has expressed enthusiasm about developing Bronny, viewing him as a key part of the team’s future.
“Coach Redick is already excited about putting a development plan around him to increase his basketball skills and turn them into the player that we think can impact and help this franchise,” Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka said after the 2024 NBA Draft.
Given these circumstances, it seems unlikely that LeBron would depart from the Lakers while his son is navigating his early NBA career.
