While James has never been involved in an in-season trade up to this point in his career, a string of frustrating seasons in Los Angeles has led some to believe that could change. As for destinations, Golden State is continuously rumored as a likely landing spot.
“The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported as part of a segment on a Dec. 11 episode of “Get Up.”
As it stands, no deal is remotely imminent, but it is fair to expect the rumors to continue until James shuts them down or the February trade deadline approaches. A closer look at the nature of these rumors explains why James has been and will continue to be linked to the Bay Area’s NBA franchise.
The first real rumors linking James to the Warriors came in February 2024. After the trade deadline passed, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and now-retired NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski published a report on Golden State’s unsuccessful efforts to land James via trade.
The report says that Warriors owner Joe Lacob made an inquiry to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss about James’ availability. In response, Buss reportedly said LA had “no desire” to trade its franchise player but would check on his “state of mind.”
Months later, as the 2024 offseason wound down, insider Marc Stein reported that trade talks between the Warriors and Lakers were stalled because James’ agent, Rich Paul, opposed them.
The overwhelming belief from each report is that the Lakers would honor James if he expressed a desire to be moved. The lack of movement is consistent with James maintaining that he is happy in Los Angeles.
Despite the head-to-head rivalry that defined a decade of NBA action, James being linked to Golden State makes sense for several reasons.