Warriors reportedly called Lakers multiple times about trading for LeBron James
warriors-have-called-lakers-about-lebron-james-trade
The Golden State Warriors have reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers on several occasions during the past 18 months to discuss potential trade scenarios involving LeBron James, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Fischer reported that Golden State’s front office has asked the Lakers whether any path exists to place James alongside Stephen Curry. James’s future in Los Angeles remains uncertain, prompting the Warriors to keep tabs on his availability.
The interest traces back in part to last summer, when Curry and James played together on Team USA under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the run to Olympic gold. After years as NBA Finals opponents, the two stars were said to have enjoyed sharing the court as teammates.
Golden State has a track record of pursuing marquee talent, previously landing Kevin Durant in 2016 and attempting to acquire Jimmy Butler earlier this year. Bringing in James would follow that same aggressive strategy.
Any deal, however, would be complicated by salary-cap math. James is owed $52.6 million this season, meaning the Warriors would need to offload significant contracts—potentially gutting their roster even if Jonathan Kuminga secured a new deal worth more than $20 million—to meet the NBA’s matching requirements. Similar hurdles would confront Golden State if it chased another superstar such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Fischer noted.
For now, no agreement is in place, and the Lakers have given no indication they intend to move their four-time MVP. Still, as long as questions linger about James’s tenure in Los Angeles, league observers expect the Warriors to remain an interested party.
Source: Hoops Wire
