Would the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors agree to the deal?
Assuming for a moment that the Lakers would consider moving LeBron, if he were to demand a trade, they would be getting pretty good value for him considering that he is nearing the end of his legendary career.
LeBron may only play another season after this year, and getting real assets for him would be huge considering they don't have much in the way of building blocks post-LeBron. Davis, Austin Reaves, and Dalton Knect are the only long-term building blocks that they have.
However, in this potential trade, they would be getting several rotation players, including Buddy Hield, Kuminga, and Wiggins. Wiggins would give them a solid wing to replace LeBron, relatively speaking, while Hield is one of the best shooters in the NBA and would give the Lakers more spacing to help them in the short term.
Payton II would give them more defense while Kuminga could thrive in a bigger role. Kuminga has played very well of late, averaging 20.5 points per game over his last 14 games, as of this writing. Factor in a 2025 first-round pick, which the Lakers don't currently have, and it's not a bad trade package for LeBron, all things considered.
If he were to force their hand and demand to be traded ahead of the deadline, this would be a competitive offer. Given the Lakers' lackluster options in the inevitable post-LeBron era, they should likely consider it in that event.
Obviously, they wouldn't do the deal otherwise, but if LeBron made clear that he wanted to be traded, then they would potentially accept this one. As for the Warriors, the answer would clearly be yes.
After all, Payton II is an unrestricted free agent after this season and is likely to be moved ahead of the deadline given his expiring contract.
Although Wiggins has had a better season than in previous years, he is still inconsistent, and the Warriors would likely try to upgrade him. LeBron would definitely be a major upgrade, removing any reservations the Warriors may have about moving on from him. As for Kuminga, they made the decision not to offer him a contract extension earlier this season, and that leads to questions about his future with the team.
After all, a team with cap space could offer him a massive offer sheet to try and steal him away from the Warriors and may be successful in doing so. Therefore, Golden State should consider moving him if the right deal comes along rather than risk losing him for nothing.
Add in a first-round pick, and it would be a fair offer for LeBron. Depending on whether LeBron plays another season with the Warriors, should he be traded to them, it would also give them two chances to make noise in the playoffs.
LeBron playing with Curry would be a league-altering move that could propel the Warriors back into title contention. Ultimately, the Lakers, if forced to move LeBron, would likely agree to the deal, as would the Warriors.