Every year, the NBA season is full of drama and surprises. The league has become known for this and we see it take place like clockwork.
In a league where play empowerment is at the forefront, wild moments are sure to arise. Recently, one of the biggest stories around the NBA has been about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James has been away from the team while dealing with a nagging injury. But his excused absence, combined with Los Angeles' lack of success, has led to much trade speculation.
The Golden State Warriors are the most common team mentioned whenever a potential James trade is discussed. The idea of LeBron James and Stephen Curry teaming up makes for a great conversation.
While a deal between the two sides is unlikely, it could ultimately happen, at least salary-wise. Due to the new CBA restrictions, it would require each side to be creative in getting a deal done.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a blockbuster deal that would send James to Golden State for a haul. Here is what the proposed trade would look like:
Warriors receive: Forward LeBron James, forward Cam Reddish, and guard Bronny James
Lakers receive: Forward Andrew Wiggins, guard De'Anthony Melton, forward Jonathan Kuminga, guard Brandin Podziemski, forward Gui Santos, a top-1 protected first-round pick in 2025, and a top-3 protected first-round pick in 2027
This deal could heavily benefit both sides, even with Los Angeles trading LeBron away. Golden State would get the star that they have been going for to pair alongside Curry and forward Draymond Green.
Adding LeBron in for the next year or two could allow the Warriors to extend their championship window, while also giving fans a glimpse of some fun basketball to watch. Despite his age, LeBron has still been going strong and has looked good on the floor.
The superstar has had some shooting issues this season but is still averaging 23.0 points per game. Putting him into the Golden State lineup could be unfair to the rest of the league.
As for the Lakers, they would receive a nice consultation prize for trading LeBron. Kuminga and Podziemski would help usher in the new era of Lakers basketball while the extra draft picks could serve the team well in trade talks.
Los Angeles would still have Anthony Davis on the roster and they could decide how to proceed with him. This type of move could help set the Lakers up for longer-term success, making it at least an interesting idea to consider.