The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that is clearly in a poor position as of right now, despite their recent win against the Atlanta Hawks. There is no easy path for them to become a championship contender, whether it is this season or in the future.
- The Golden State Warriors Get A Superstar-Caliber Player
- The Los Angeles Lakers Receive A Solid Trade Package For LeBron James
- This Trade Could Help Both Teams
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If their roster continues to struggle, it is quite possible that we’ll see the Los Angeles Lakers engaging in a rebuild in the future. That could potentially mean that they will trade superstar LeBron James.
It was recently reported that LeBron James doesn’t want to ask for a trade because he doesn’t want to uproot his family. However, moving to a team like the Golden State Warriors would keep him in the state of California while also putting him on a competitive roster.
Our trade scenario involves the Golden State Warriors moving Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga, along with draft compensation to the Los Angeles Lakers to pair LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Golden State Warriors Receive: LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 First-Round Pick (GSW)
This trade could potentially help both teams fulfill their goals, and clearly, this could have benefits for both sides. In this article, we will discuss why the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers should make this deal.
The Golden State Warriors Get A Superstar-Caliber Player
The reason the Golden State Warriors should make this deal is simple: it’s LeBron James. Even though he is in the twilight of his career, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is still putting up elite numbers, and he is clearly a player that can still impact winning in the right situation. As of right now, LeBron James is averaging 28.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 6.6 APG. The opportunity to trade for a superstar doesn’t come often, and if the Los Angeles Lakers do end up making LeBron James available, then the Golden State Warriors should pounce and make a move.
If the Los Angeles Lakers are rebuilding, they will likely want young players and draft compensation for the future. The headliner for the trade in this scenario is Jordan Poole, who looks like a star in the making. He is the kind of player that would make it worth it for the Los Angeles Lakers to move LeBron James.
Obviously, Jordan Poole alone isn’t enough for the Los Angeles Lakers to give up LeBron James, and thus the Los Angeles Lakers would receive young players and draft compensation from the Golden State Warriors to make up for the difference in talent and ability between Jordan Poole and LeBron James.
The basketball fit between LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors is perfect. LeBron James is a pass-first player who loves to move the ball, and that means he would likely thrive next to shooters like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. They would make his job a lot easier and lessen the scoring load for him. LeBron James would also give the Golden State Warriors an element of rim pressure, which would further diversify their offense.
We have seen LeBron James and Stephen Curry battle it out for years, but perhaps it is time for them to team up. They could potentially create an unstoppable duo in the Western Conference, and if the Golden State Warriors managed to get LeBron James, they would win at least one championship over the next few years.
The Los Angeles Lakers Receive A Solid Trade Package For LeBron James
Though the Los Angeles Lakers have historically been a superstar-oriented franchise, trading LeBron James could be in their best interests. Obviously, losing a player like James would hurt in the short term, but getting a solid amount of young prospects could set the Los Angeles Lakers up for the long term.
Jordan Poole is having a fantastic year for the Golden State Warriors, and he would have the opportunity to become the next face of the Los Angeles Lakers if moved there. He is currently putting up 20.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG, and it is clear that his talent would make him one of the foundational pieces for the next era of Lakers basketball.
The Los Angeles Lakers would also receive two prospects in Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman. Jonathan Kuminga is already a good multi-positional defender and slasher. He has some under-utilized passing ability as well, and perhaps playing a bigger role on the Los Angeles Lakers could help him flourish offensively. James Wiseman is rawer than Jonathan Kuminga, but he has elite athleticism and profiles to be a solid rim runner who can also shoot from the perimeter. Playing bigger minutes on the Los Angeles Lakers would help him develop, and perhaps he can be a productive player in the future. The Lakers would also get a draft pick in this scenario as a sweetener.
It is a tough ask for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade LeBron James. But it could be the best move for both him and the franchise. If the Lakers continue missing the playoffs, then they should absolutely explore trading LeBron James and sending him to a competitive team. The Golden State Warriors could provide the Los Angeles Lakers with a good package while giving LeBron James the opportunity to compete for a championship, and we’ll see what ends up happening in the future.
This Trade Could Help Both Teams
There is no doubt that this trade could potentially be a good move for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors could potentially win a championship, while the Lakers would get good value for LeBron James.
LeBron James would let the Golden State Warriors go all-in on Stephen Curry and add more talent to the roster. His abilities would make the Golden State Warriors an even more dynamic team, and he and Stephen Curry would immediately give the Warriors one of the best duos in the league.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers would be able to get a fantastic trade package for their future while also letting LeBron James go and compete for another title. They have clearly shown a desire to focus on the stability of the franchise in the coming years rather than winning immediately, and this trade would let them do so.
It remains to be seen if a trade like this would ever end up happening in the future. Hopefully, we can see the two teams come together on a deal, as it would be great basketball to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry together.
