Before acquiring Jimmy Butler this season, the Golden State Warriors were desperate for star power to pair next to franchise point guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors reportedly even had dreams of pairing Curry with two of his biggest rivals: LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
“The Golden State Warriors tried to trade for LeBron James and Kevin Durant at the same time before acquiring Jimmy Butler,” wrote Sam Amico of Hoops Wire. “Curry didn’t talk to LeBron about playing together, but the sharpshooter did speak with Durant.”
Steph led the Warriors through their most prosperous era in franchise history but after 15 years in the NBA, they were painfully behind the top elite teams in the West. Since winning their last championship in 2022, the Warriors have been in a steady decline and only something drastic could have changed their trajectory.
After playing together in the Paris Olympic Games last summer, the Warriors thought that Steph, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant would make the perfect pairing in San Francisco and make a lot of noise as the last true “big three” in the NBA.
Even at 40 years old, LeBron James is producing at an MVP level with averages of 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game this season. He’s been a steady hand for the Lakers and a leader both on and off the court. He and Steph could have thrived playing off each other’s contrasting skill sets but it’s no secret that LeBron prefers to stay with the Lakers.
He’s built his empire in Los Angeles and has established a connection to the city after planting his roots. Plus, with Bronny on the Lakers, LeBron prefers to avoid any move that might split him from his son. The Warriors tried to trade for James last season as well but all of their advances have been rejected so far.
In Phoenix, Kevin Durant is content after making his way there from Brooklyn. He’s embraced his role on the franchise and is delivering great games on the court with averages of 27.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 53.2% shooting. Durant and Steph have a history together as teammates when they won two championships (2017 and 2018) in three straight trips to the Finals.
The Warriors were very aggressive in their pursuit of Durant this season and they nearly had a deal in place before the former MVP spoke publicly about not wanting to return. It was nothing personal against the Warriors, but Kevin has unfinished business with the Suns.
Surely, a big three with Curry (23.4 points and 6.1 assists per game this season), Durant, and LeBron would have been enough for the Warriors to challenge for a top-six seed and compete for a spot in the Finals but we’ll never get the chance to find out.
The Warriors had to abandon their dreams of building a dynasty and settle for Jimmy Butler instead. Butler, a 6x All-Star, has fit like a glove for Golden State with averages of 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 44.6% shooting.
Only time will tell if the Warriors can make one last title run with Curry but they will do whatever they can to maximize their chances. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are off the table for now, but the Warriors will be waiting and hoping for any opportunity to bring them together.
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