Just in case anyone thought they would have an uneventful Valentine’s Day, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s latest report is a heartbreaker for Golden State Warriors fans.
NBA News: Warriors Made Unsuccessful Bid To Trade For Lakers’ LeBron James
Per Wojnarowski, prior to last week’s trade deadline, the Dubs tested the waters on a LeBron James trade. Warriors owner Joe Lacob first reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. Buss directed Lacob to James’s longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul.
Then, Golden State was shot down. Expecting Cupid’s arrow but finding a silver bullet instead, LeBron told the Warriors that he would rather stick it out in L.A. than be traded.
Thanks but no thanks.
Interestingly, Warriors veteran Draymond Green appeared to be the primary catalyst. Despite their fierce on-court battles, Green and James have developed a close friendship over the past few years. Perhaps it helps that LeBron hasn’t faced Golden State in a playoff series once since 2018. Once a constant threat to the Warriors dynasty, James’ move West has extinguished the flames of their beef.
Today, Golden State has one foot in two eras of Warriors basketball.
The old guard—Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry— are on the backends of their careers. True, Curry is still playing at a high level. However, the Dubs are operating with more of a sense of urgency than ever with him approaching 36 years old.
The new guard—Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis—are just getting started. Still green behind the ears, their upside could allow the Warriors to extend their dynasty. After all, the San Antonio Spurs were able to remain dominant over the course of decades due to the draft. Yet, their inexperience and development track don’t mesh with the old guard’s timeline as well as the veterans would like.
An Old But New Big 5
LeBron James being traded to the Golden State Warriors would have been the talk of the country. It would have broken the internet and the app formerly known as Twitter.
Yet, it also would have created the oldest superteam since the 2013-14 season. In 2013, the Brooklyn Nets attempted to start a dynasty with an aging Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Joe Johnson. However, at least those Nets had two of their best players still in their 20s in Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.
The Warriors may trade for James without even retaining that luxury.
A deal between Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers would have probably required the Warriors to surrender breakout star Jonathan Kuminga. The promising Podziemski, underutilized Moody, savvy Jackson-Davis, and former first overall pick Andrew Wiggins may have been on a flight to L.A. as well.
Of course, the Warriors would likely want to keep at least one of their young talents. In that event, Podziemski’s Swiss Army Knife skillset may have been prioritized. But given his overlap with Lakers fan favorite Austin Reaves, it’s difficult to surmise whether it would make L.A. more or less inclined to target him.
Nonetheless, as long as the Warriors placed LeBron beside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul, they achieved their mission.
Between LeBron, Curry, Klay, Dray, and CP3, the quintet has won 8 NBA Finals and amassed 51 All-Star selections. They’ve each played at least 147 playoff games, with James leading the way with 282 postseason appearances. Their combined success and experience would be unmatched by any team in the NBA.
Time Still On the Clock?
The Golden State Warriors’ may check in on LeBron James again during the offseason, when he makes a decision about his $51.4 million player option for 2024-25.
According to Woj, the Philadelphia 76ers could also explore a James trade after inquiring about LeBron prior to the trade deadline. However, where the Warriors bid appeared to have serious legs, the Sixers and Los Angeles Lakers’ conversation went nowhere fast.
