Featured Image Credit: Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Topics: Lebron James, NBA, Steph Curry , LA Lakers, Basketball
Ben McAleer
Topics: Lebron James, NBA, Steph Curry , LA Lakers, Basketball
Steph Curry has made his LeBron James stance more than clear with the LA Lakers star rumoured to be a potential new trade target for the Golden State Warriors.
James is reported to be currently exploring a trade away from Los Angeles in what would be the shock of the off-season.
But it was during the 2023/24 NBA season that Golden State Warriors governor Joe Lacob reportedly proposed a trade with the Lakers that would see James move to San Francisco. The Lakers and James’ agent Rich Paul told the Warriors than the NBA icon wouldn’t entertain a switch, and talks ended there.
Almost a year later, Curry says be believed James would never leave the Lakers, and that playing together in the NBA seemed unlikely.
Advert
“That's as far as it got from a year ago,” Curry told ESPN back in February, "because it sounded outlandish when I first heard about it. I never thought he'd leave the Lakers. And I obviously said I never really wanted to leave here.”
American TV personality, and co-host of First Things First, Nick Wright has suggested that a switch to the Warriors could be possible this summer as trade rumours continue to swirl.
Advert
At 41 years of age, the market for James is small, meaning a team could justify trading him if they have title aspirations in the near future.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, who once considered a shock contract offer from the NFL, has also recently signed a two-year extension worth $104m, which limits options further.
Wright, though, believes he knows of two teams who could make the trade work.
Speaking on First Things First, Wright said: “What should the Warriors or the [New York] Knicks do to get LeBron James? Both of them, if LeBron wanted to go there, could get him, and the teams would make sense.
Advert
“The Warriors one is simple – it’s Jimmy Butler for LeBron. I know the Lakers, evidently, desperately want to hold on to 2027 cap space. If you trade for Jimmy Butler, you would still have 2027 cap space because he has two years left on his deal.”
Butler has a similar contract to James, and currently has two years left on his deal with the Warriors, during which he’ll make just over $108m.
“Some would argue Jimmy fits better with Luka [Doncic] than LeBron, I wouldn’t be one of those people, but if LeBron wants to leave, that would be a legitimate return,” Wright added.
That said, while fans would be desperate to see both Curry and James link up in the NBA, Wright believes a switch to the Knicks is more “realistic”.
Advert
“The other one, I think, is more interesting and more realistic, and it’s LeBron for Karl-Anthony Towns,” Wright added.
“The Lakers get much younger, you don’t get a defensive center, but you get a stretch five, and it’s something that is interesting for them at least to evaluate for the next couple of years before Towns has a player option.”
The Lakers failed to make it beyond the first round of the western conference playoffs, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who then knocked the Warriors out in the conference semi-finals.