The Golden State Warriors are the only team in the NBA who haven’t made a move yet in the offseason.
Does their silence mean something big is brewing?
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors revisited their thoughts of pairing LeBron James and Stephen Curry after their failed attempt last year.
“A handful of teams — including the Golden State Warriors, who tried to trade for James in 2023-24 — considered again whether to make an offer, sources said,” Windhorst and Shelburne wrote on Friday, July 11.
LeBron Hints at Possible Trade Demand
GettyLeBron James celebrates with Stephen Curry at the end of the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia.
Whether that dream comes true this offseason is up to James.
The Lakers star issued a veiled threat through his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, after no substantive talks about an extension took place.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN on June 29. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
The Lakers have pivoted from James and shifted their priorities to their new franchise star Luka Doncic.
The much younger Doncic arrived at the trade deadline in a shocking swap for James’ close friend, Anthony Davis and fellow Klutch Sports client.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
According to Windhorst and Shelburne, an Eastern Conference executive “was convinced James wanted out of LA.”
Warriors Have the Cleanest Path to a LeBron Trade
Getty Jimmy Butler III of the Golden State Warriors heads to the locker room in the first half after an injury against the Houston Rockets.
If James indeed asks for a trade — if he finds the Lakers roster not sufficient for a championship run — the Warriors can become the Lakers’ easiest trade partner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Katz singled out Jimmy Butler as the Warriors’ obvious salary match for James.
“Butler makes a tad more than James does, marking the trade legal, though if it were constructed this way, it would hard cap the Lakers at the first apron, since they’d be absorbing more money than they send out in a deal. If the Lakers were fine with that, they could execute the one-for-one trade,” Katz wrote on July 2.
And even if the Lakers want to duck the first apron, roping in a third team would still be easier to execute for them and the Warriors.
“Golden State and Los Angeles could find a third team willing to take on one of the Lakers’ minimum salaries (say, Jordan Goodwin’s) without giving any salary back. This way, the total money leaving the purple and gold is above Butler’s incoming salary,” Katz wrote.
The Warriors have plenty of second-round picks to incentivize a team with cap room to absorb Goodwin’s $2.4 million salary.
