Social media was abuzz on Friday, when it was reported that the Golden State Warriors had called the Los Angeles Lakers multiple times in the last 18 months over a LeBron James trade. The timing of this report was interesting, and Lakers insider Jovan Buha thinks the Warriors released it with a clear purpose in mind.
“I would assume this came out from the Warriors side,” Buha said. “… They’ve had a rough summer. They have not been able to make any moves because of this Kuminga situation. It’s been drama-filled, but also stagnant at the same time.
“And one way to get your fan base excited or to get them off your back a little bit is to have something like this come out,” Buha stated. “And now it’s like, oh well, they’ve been trying to get LeBron, they’ve been trying to flip Kuminga for LeBron. They’re not just sitting there doing nothing, right?
“I think there’s a little bit of posturing here, more from the [Golden State side],” Buha continued. “If you think about who this benefits … to some extent, it does benefit LeBron, showing that there’s interest in him and that whoever put it out that there was no trade market for him, that’s not true.
“But it also benefits the Warriors to make their front office, their organization look like they’re trying to do something,” Buha added. “So I don’t make much of it, to be completely honest. I think it’s status quo, and until LeBron asks out and specifically asks out to the Warriors or to a subset of teams, then I don’t make much of this.”
Buha doesn’t expect this trade to materialize as things stand. James has not expressed a desire to leave, and his no-trade clause means the Lakers cannot ship him out of town unless he wants to go. His agent, Rich Paul, also made it clear his client isn’t getting traded.
This report does show, though, that if James were to ask out, there would be at least one suitor. ESPN’s Bobby Marks had previously stated that the 40-year-old was drawing little to no interest around the league. Considering the Warriors have called multiple times, that’s not the case.
As for the Warriors’ side of this, it has indeed been a rough summer. They are the only team that has not made a move yet this offseason, and frustrations are growing among the fanbase.
The Warriors have not been able to strike a deal with Jonathan Kuminga, which has put all of their other moves on hold. It still isn’t clear whether he takes the qualifying offer or gets a multi-year deal, or is traded. That, in turn, will determine how much the Warriors can offer to the players they want to bring in.
Buha thinks the most likely outcome is Kuminga getting traded. If and when that happens, you would expect the Warriors to announce some of the other deals that are reportedly in place. NBA insider Jake Weinbach stated that they have verbal agreements with Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II.
