There is speculation that LeBron James is not going to sign a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. Instead, LeBron would, in theory, go the route of taking it year by year as a means to have leverage over the Lakers.
While it is a really hard thing to do, perhaps the best thing the Lakers could do for the future of the franchise is trade LeBron if they think he is going to leave after the 2022-23 season. If the Lakers committed to making this shocking move, there would be a litany of suitors.
One potential suitor could be the Golden State Warriors, who are looking to get back to winning a championship. LeBron recently said that Stephen Curry is the one player that he still wants to play with in the NBA and the Warriors have assets to trade. Golden State would instantly become the runaway title favorites and the Lakers could get some decent assets in return.
Golden State has the contracts to make it work as well.
What a LeBron James trade to the Golden State Warriors could look like:
While he does only have one year left under his contract, LeBron James would still get a decent return in a potential trade. The Warriors are one of the rare teams that can match LeBron’s salary while also sending young assets in the deal.
The instant reaction for both fanbases to this trade might be a firm no, but there are reasons why both teams could say yes to this potential deal.