LeBron James was nearly dealt to the Golden State Warriors.The surprise reason that LeBron James was not moved to the Golden State Warriors has been revealed.
In what may be regarded one of the biggest “what ifs” in NBA history, it was rumoured shortly after the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline that the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors were in serious talks about trading LeBron James. However, the trade that would have brought LeBron to the Warriors did not go through. that was unclear why that didn’t happen at the time, but LeBron downplayed the possibility.
However, the issue has gotten somewhat apparent. According to Marc Stein, the Lakers-Warriors trade did not go through, at least in part because LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, was not pleased with his client being sent to Golden State.
From a public relations standpoint, LeBron seeking a trade to the Warriors was probably not a good look. As LeBron approaches the end of his Hall of Fame career, it’s understandable that Paul would not want that for him at this point. LeBron James collaborating with Steph Curry would have been great.
It’s easy to see why there might have been some concerns, given how the league reacted when Kevin Durant decided to go with the Warriors. Even while a past-his-prime LeBron James collaborating with a past-his-prime Steph Curry is not the same as what KD accomplished in 2016, the blowback would have been significant. Given how much LeBron has been able to salvage the narrative surrounding his career recently, it makes little to no sense for him to make such a big move at this point in his career. Even less so given how uncertain a partnership with Curry would be.
Nonetheless, especially after watching them at the Olympics, the entertainment value of a LeBron and Steph Curry pairing would have been incredible.
Has the ship sailed? Is the prospect of LeBron and Steph Curry playing together fading? Probably. However, I suppose you can’t say never. There’s little doubt that this summer could have been the ideal time for both players to pursue that possibility.
As LeBron and Steph prepare for the upcoming season, they will face an uphill struggle with their teams to win one more title before their careers conclude. But oh boy, were they close to teaming up?
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