For the most part, trading LeBron James has never made much sense for him or the Los Angeles Lakers. There is one exception to that statement. That would be the Golden State Warriors.
The subject was discussed by Bill Simmons on a recent episode of his podcast. If LeBron goes anywhere before the NBA trade deadline, the Bay Area would be a logical destination.
Is it a perfect scenario? Not quite. Should the Lakers even really entertain the thought? Debatable.
The idea of trading LeBron has not been a big talking point since the NBA offseason, when rumors of his discontent flooded NBA discourse. Those were wildly overblown. At this stage, if the Lakers were to consider the move, it would have less to do with the aging star's unhappiness, and more to do with the on-court product.
Warriors could give the Lakers an out to LeBron era — if they want it
A rough stretch for the Lakers has sparked discussions of whether it is worth fully embracing the Luka Doncic era and cutting ties with their aging star. In all fairness to James, there have been recent bright spots to highlight as sources of optimism for this working out.
If the Lakers do want to entertain the idea, it will not be easy to navigate for a handful of reasons. First things first, LeBron has a no-trade clause. That right there ensures James has full control over how his immediate future looks.
The good news would be that Golden State can be reasonably estimated as a destination which the Lakers star should probably green light. James pairing up with Stephen Curry is something the NBA world has quietly begged for. After their success at the Olympic level as a duo, one would guess LeBron might be intrigued by the idea as well.
For the Warriors, it would be a desperate final heave at maximizing their current window with the franchise's greatest player. That being said, the details of how to practically make a deal work are also murky.
James' $52.6 million price tag makes any trade negotiations tough. Would a swap of LeBron and Jimmy Butler, close to straight up, be something that interests either party? That would be the easiest path to explore.
The other would involve some convoluted package around Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. That would not be ideal considering the reasonable doubt surrounding Kuminga's fit with Doncic, and the desire to see how Green and James work together.
Despite these hoops and complications, the Warriors are still the easiest and most natural trade partner, if the Lakers feel inclined. That, in itself, may hint at whether Los Angeles should seriously entertain the endeavor in the first place.
The cap space the Lakers would get in the 2026 offseason from simply letting James ride out the season and move on could arguably set them up better. Meanwhile, in that scenario, LeBron would get his pick of his final destination. That seems like the likeliest outcome here.