The Warriors have made several attempts to pair LeBron James with Stephen Curry in the Bay Area, with efforts dating back to the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that Golden State has reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers “on multiple occasions over the past 18 months” to express interest in trading for James.
“As long as LeBron’s future in Los Angeles remains uncertain, Golden State will undoubtedly be mentioned as a potential James suitor,” Fischer wrote.
The Warriors seem determined to create what would be one of the most star-studded pairings in NBA history.
“I’m told that the Warriors have called the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to see whether there is any trade pathway to pairing James with Stephen Curry, who roughly a year ago at this time was teaming with LeBron for the United States senior men’s national team on its run to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.”
This isn’t new interest. Back in February 2024, Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne first reported that Golden State had reached out about James, but LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, quickly shut it down, telling the Warriors his client wasn’t interested in being traded.
What LeBron Really Wants
In June, after James picked up his massive $52.6 million option to stay with the Lakers for the 2025-26 season, Paul gave a telling statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.”
Paul’s statement highlighted the delicate balance the Lakers face.
“We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with [governor] Jeanie [Buss] and [general manager] Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
This statement sparked rumors that James might request a trade if he didn’t like the Lakers’ offseason moves.
Is LeBron Staying Put?
When directly asked during a recent appearance on TylilShow Live whether James plans to leave the Lakers, Paul was blunt:
“No. The man has a no-trade clause, end of story. It’s up to him if he wants to get traded,” Paul said. “In the event, when a player has a no-trade clause and a team wants to trade the player, that player has the ability to say no.”
Not exactly groundbreaking insight, since James could waive his no-trade clause anytime he wants – just like Bradley Beal did with the Phoenix Suns before his contract was bought out.
Things have been quiet on the James trade front lately. The Lakers have also been busy adding new pieces, including center Deandre Ayton, forward Jake LaRavia, and guard Marcus Smart.
Warriors’ Own Problems
While dreaming of adding LeBron, the Warriors have been stuck in a contract standoff with forward Jonathan Kuminga that’s limited their offseason moves.
Golden State’s best offer to Kuminga so far is just a two-year, $45 million deal.
Kuminga, a restricted free agent, has suggested he might prefer taking the $7.9 million qualifying offer instead. The 22-year-old rising star wants at least $30 million per year on his next contract.
The situation has left free agents Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton in limbo, as they can’t finalize their own deals with Golden State until Kuminga’s situation is resolved.
Kuminga has until October 1 to accept a qualifying offer if that’s the route he chooses.
