NBA Trades: Outrageous Warriors swap lands them the Lakers' LeBron James.
The proposed trade would see the Warriors ship out Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Buddy Hield, and Kevin Looney to the Lakers in exchange for Lakers superstar LeBron James, in addition to his son Bronny James. That would be a monster deal that would shake up the NBA by dramatically reshaping two of the most popular teams in the league.
After all, the Lakers would move into a new era with them presumably building around Anthony Davis and a supporting cast in the hopes that they can soon get back to their winning ways. Meanwhile, the Warriors would go all-in to try and win another championship.
A lot would have to go wrong between now and the trade deadline for Los Angeles to consider moving LeBron. Actually, the only way they would likely move him is if he requested a trade directly, which seems unlikely at the moment but not impossible, given that the Lakers aren't quite in contention just yet.
The biggest selling point of this deal for the Lakers would be Kuminga and a first-round pick. Kuminga has played well lately, which has likely increased his trade value, and in the event that LeBron wants out of L.A., then he would be a nice get for the Lakers. Additionally, adding a first in the loaded 2025 NBA draft would give them a chance to add a solid prospect, presumably in the 20 range.
For the Warriors, it would be a no-brainer move with them landing arguably the best player of all time in a trade. Better yet, he would be paired with Curry, making for must-see NBA TV with them being rivals turned teammates.
That is particularly true after their electric performance last summer for Team USA, with them proving overwhelming at times as an offensive pairing. Even in their mid to late thirties, both players are still top 20 players in the NBA.
While the Warriors would be giving up four rotation players for LeBron in addition to a first-round pick, it could be worth it. Especially if LeBron plays another season beyond this one, giving the Warriors two playoffs with him and Curry.
The Western Conference is relatively up for grabs, and a pairing of LeBron and Curry could rival even the best teams in the conference. Especially in the playoffs when experience matters. A projected starting lineup of Curry, Brandin Podziemski, LeBron, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis would have enough shooting, scoring, and defense to go toe to toe with even the best teams.
Even though it wouldn't be long-term with Curry being 36 years old and LeBron being 40. As currently constructed, the Warriors probably don't have a chance to make it out of the first round—assuming that they even make it out of the play-in tournament.
That means that they don't have much to lose in a potential blockbuster trade as laid out by Swartz. Based on that, it would be well worth it for the Lakers. However, it could be well worth it for them, but what about the Lakers?