The trade rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have been heating up lately, especially with the moves the Lakers have made to improve their roster. With NBA insider Kevin O’Connor weighing in on trade rumors on “The Kevin O’Connor Show”, the insider presented a radical trade proposal that would undoubtedly make Lakers fans unhappy.
While speaking on the topic, O’Connor said:
“If you really want to get crazy, you could say that the KD to Houston deal involving Phoenix is not done yet. You could still add three teams or four teams. But I like to think about, well, Phoenix wanted Butler. So maybe you send LeBron and Bronny James to Golden State, Jimmy Butler to Phoenix, Kevin Durant to Houston, and then Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Lakers.”
Kevin Durant’s trade to the Houston Rockets has been the defining move of the offseason. With one of the most formidable scoring forces joining the Rockets, Houston has transformed into a powerhouse in the Western Conference.
As an outcome of that trade, the Suns acquired Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green along with five second-round picks. But some speculation has suggested that the team could look to flip the new arrivals, with Brooks being the primary element.
O’Connor’s wild trade idea was quickly dismissed by co-panelist Jovan Buha, who added how upset Lakers fans would be with this proposal.
As per the trade idea, the Lakers would be facilitating Kevin Durant‘s move to Houston by sending LeBron James and Bronny James to the Golden State Warriors. In return, the Lakers receive Green and Brooks, while the Suns land Jimmy Butler.
While this isn’t necessarily a means of underselling what the two former Rockets players bring to the table, the notion of replacing James has to be treated differently.
Even at 40 years old, James is one of the most productive players in the league. Having averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game last season, the Lakers’ star continues to put up phenomenal numbers even at this stage in his career.
Meanwhile, the pair of Green and Brooks, who are much younger, pale in comparison.
Last season was a bit of a breakout year for the Rockets’ guard. In a solid outing, the 23-year-old averaged 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Brooks is a seasoned veteran, but his role is far different from that of Green or James. His averages of 14.0 points and 3.7 rebounds would be impressive in any other context. But in comparison to the Lakers’ star, it falls short.
The idea of James joining the Warriors is an interesting one, all the same. A potential partnership with Stephen Curry has been teased on multiple occasions, but to no avail.
Should such a trade go through, the Golden State Warriors would undoubtedly become a title-contender, something that would align with the forward’s championship aspirations. As things stand, only a handful of teams have inquired about James’ availability in trade talks.
