The Los Angeles Lakers would never actually consider trading away LeBron James…or would they? More importantly, should they?
Trade rumors surrounding the King reached a crescendo Tuesday morning, as ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins reported that the Lakers would consider any potential offer if James requested a trade and that his agent, Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul, wouldn’t shut down any interested teams.
Unsurprisingly, the team most linked with James is the Golden State Warriors. James and Warriors’ talisman Stephen Curry have been inexorably linked together since the two faced off in four consecutive NBA Finals between 2015 and 2018, and each has talked extensively about playing with the other. They finally got that chance during the 2024 Olympic Games, leading the United States to a gold medal in Paris behind a flurry of Curry threes in the semifinal and gold medal matches.
Prior to the start of the season, James didn’t completely shut down the idea of teaming up with Curry once again.
As James’ career winds to a conclusion and Curry seeks one final championship in Golden State, is now finally the time?
LeBron James’ Impact in Year 22
This season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan in Los Angeles.
The Lakers’ 2024-25 campaign got off to a rocky start during the summer, when their top head coaching candidate, UConn’s Dan Hurley, rejected a six-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Huskies. Los Angeles pivoted to former NBA journeyman JJ Redick instead.
There was some optimism surrounding Redick at the start of the season, and for good reason: the Lakers jumped out to a 10-4 record and briefly held the third seed in the Western Conference. Both James and center Anthony Davis were playing like MVP candidates, and James recorded four consecutive triple-doubles for the first time in his career.
However, the wheels have since fallen off the bus. The Lakers lost four times by 25 or more points in the span of 11 days and have slumped to 13-11, only good for eighth in the packed Western Conference standings. Los Angeles required Utah head coach Will Hardy to ice his own team just to beat the lowly Jazz, and after a 41-point demolition at the hands of the Miami Heat, Redick outwardly questioned whether it was even beneficial to the team for James to play all 82 games.
Amidst it all, James suffered the worst shooting slump of his career, shooting 38.7% from the field and going 0-for-19 from three across a disastrous four-game stretch from November 27 to December 2.
Overall, James is still an impactful player and by far the best 39-year-old in the league’s history. He’s averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.1 assists on 50-36-76 shooting splits that are slightly better than his career averages. He should still be a strong contender to make his 21st All-Star team and 21st All-NBA team.
However, he grades out as a net-negative defender for the first time since his rookie season, and he no longer looks quite as elusive or explosive as he did just last season. So, is it time for the Lakers to cash out while he still has value?
What do the Golden State Warriors have to offer?
Meanwhile, 373 miles to the northwest, the Golden State Warriors have been a positive surprise, even after losing franchise legend Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency. Led by Curry and a deep rotation, the Warriors have a 14-9 record and sit at fifth in the Western Conference.
Curry, the 12th-oldest player in the NBA, has shown few signs of decline in his 16th season. He’s averaging 23.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on blistering 45-42-93 shooting splits. Although his finishing has dropped off a little bit—his 50% shooting from inside the arc is his worst since his fourth season—he’s still one of the most dangerous offensive forces in basketball.
Look at the top of the West: Oklahoma City has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Chet Holmgren. Memphis has Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Santi Aldama. The Rockets have Alperen Şengün and Tari Eason. Dallas has Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, and Derrick Lively II. By NBA’s Player Impact Estimate, all of these players rank ahead of Golden State’s second-best player, Kevon Looney.
It’s hard to blame Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. if he doesn’t believe his team has enough top-end talent to win a championship. Seven of the last 10 champions have had at least two All-Stars on the roster, and it is unlikely that any Golden State player besides Curry will make it this year. James would give Curry his best running mate since Kevin Durant and give the Warriors two of the most dominant crunch-time options in basketball.
Golden State has a solid mix of veterans, young talent, and up to three tradable first-round picks that could entice the Lakers. But, given LeBron’s mammoth contract and both teams’ financial situation, any trade would be almost impossible to pull off. The Warriors would have to put in both Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins in order to match salaries, and the Lakers would certainly ask for forward Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga hasn’t made the fourth-year leap that many had hoped, as his numbers are down virtually across the board from his breakout 2023-24 campaign.
A package of Green, Wiggins, Kuminga, and draft capital for James and either Gabe Vincent or Jarred Vanderbilt—plus LeBron’s son, Bronny—seems to be the only financially feasible path to James teaming up with Curry. Would it be enough to convince the Lakers to pull the trigger?
It would increase Los Angeles’ depth—arguably its biggest issue this season—as the three Warriors players are all high-quality rotational pieces. In much the same way that the Warriors might lack top-end talent, trading arguably the greatest player of all time is a move geared for the future, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has shown no signs of interest in a rebuild.
What are the Lakers’ other options?
It’s unclear what other teams would be interested in trading for James, especially with 11 teams in the Western Conference sitting at .500 or better.
Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey reportedly reached out to Pelinka last season to inquire about James’ availability, but Philadelphia signed forward Paul George in the summer and would be highly unlikely to move either center Joel Embiid or point guard Tyrese Maxey. George, like James, becomes eligible for a trade on December 14, but the 35-year-old has a lengthy injury history and holds far less trade value than James. Furthermore, the 76ers have virtually no bench pieces that the Lakers would be interested in.
The Dallas Mavericks could be a possibility, as general manager Nico Harrison has demonstrated a willingness to swing blockbuster trades. But the need isn’t really there in Dallas; the Mavericks made the NBA Finals in 2023-24 and are the hottest team in basketball, having won seven straight to climb into fourth place in the West. Dončić is the healthiest he’s been all season, and Dallas is humming on both sides of the ball. The Mavericks have a deep roster that could entice Los Angeles and possibly attainable top-end talent in guard Kyrie Irving, but Harrison’s asking price will be high.
Likewise, if James is interested in a homecoming, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the best team in basketball and would be extremely hard-pressed to shake things up. While the Cavaliers could use an improvement at small forward, their top two players, shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and power forward Evan Mobley, are probably untouchable, and center Jarrett Allen can’t be traded until February 1. If Cleveland is unwilling to include point guard Darius Garland — an unlikely proposition given Garland’s strong play in the early part of the season — the deal is as good as dead. Plus, the Cavs are asset-poor after pulling off the blockbuster deal for Mitchell two years ago.
The Verdict: To Trade or Not to Trade?
Will Los Angeles trade LeBron?
Unless he begs to be dealt—which I doubt he will—the answer is a resounding no. James had the opportunity to leave the Lakers during the offseason, but he opted to resign to a two-year, $101 million deal. Los Angeles’ recent slump is far from unprecedented throughout James’ tenure with the team, but he has remained loyal to the team regardless. Maybe his—and Curry’s—desire for a fifth championship is strengthening in the waning years of each man’s Hall of Fame career, but I won’t buy that he wants to leave the Lakers until he says it outright.
Should the Lakers trade LeBron?
Given the current slate of potential trade options, I’m also skeptical. Yes, the Lakers are stuck in the dreaded middle, clearly a cut below teams like the Thunder and Mavericks, and perhaps even worse than the Warriors. But anything Golden State has to offer doesn’t move the needle; Green is old and declining, Wiggins is inconsistent and replaceable, and Kuminga’s flashes of All-Star potential haven’t been frequent enough to justify giving up The King. Plus, none of the three remedy the Lakers’ shooting woes.
Dreaming of a hypothetical James trade is a rare opportunity for basketball fans. But unless something drastically changes, it’ll remain just that…a dream.
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