LeBron James is traded to the Golden State Warriors
After the Los Angeles Lakers made the blockbuster move for Luka Doncic, there were some natural questions about how it would impact the future of LeBron James. At least for now, there’s no indication that it will. However, as is always the case in the NBA, that could change at any given moment. In theory, LeBron and Luka don’t fit in a basketball sense or in terms of an overall timeline. As good as Luka is, the Lakers are worse than they were before the trade. LeBron and Anthony Davis at least made sense as a basketball fit. Luka and LeBron don’t.
This was clearly a move for the future and that could leave LeBron in an awkward spot. If LeBron wanted a trade, it’s probably something that the Lakers would probably facilitate – especially considering he has a no-trade clause. While there are reports that the Lakers don’t want to trade LeBron, it’s ultimately up to him. If he wants to be moved to a team that has a better shot to win a title in the next couple of seasons, that’s something that would be obliged. In theory, the Golden State Warriors are a natural fit for LeBron if he opted for a trade.
What is the viability of such a trade?
From a financial perspective, there’s a pretty clear path toward a LeBron to the Warriors trade. The contracts of Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, and Gary Payton II do make sense. If Golden State wanted, they could probably swap Schroder for another contract to make the money work. Would the Lakers want that return for LeBron? Who knows. But they could always recruit a third or fourth team to find exactly what the Lakers might be looking for in a deal.
A core of Steph Curry, LeBron, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and the remaining Warriors’ supporting cast could be enough to add a new wrinkle to the team heading into the second half of the season. Would it be enough to compete for a championship this year in the Western Conference? Who knows. But this is the type of move that could help the Warriors change the narrative of their season.
