The Los Angeles Lakers did not make any moves at the 2024 NBA trade deadline but there was a lot of speculation around what might have been happening behind the scenes. Most importantly, rumors about the Lakers potentially trading LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors emerged.
According to reports, the Warriors at least contacted the Lakers to explore the possibility of trading for the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Los Angeles reasonably declined but the fact that Golden State was interested opened Pandora's Box.
LeBron has a player option after this season and with the Lakers struggling to find any momentum this year, we could see the superstar forward enter ring-chasing mode in the summer. If so, then pairing up with another top-10 player of all-time in Stephen Curry (as well as his buddy, Draymond Green) could be a very intriguing option.
Former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers recently threw cold water on LeBron and Curry ever playing together. Myers expressed how amazing it would be to see the two all-time greats team up, but made sure to emphasize that it probably will never happen (h/t NBC Sports).
""You know what I wish? I wish we could have seen [Curry and James] on the same team for one season," Myers, who now serves as an ESPN analyst, said Saturday before the Warriors' game against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. "Because you know why? They're perfect complements to each other.
"Forget that they're megastars and the most popular players in the NBA. Curry and LeBron, more than anybody understands, complement each other on the basketball court. LeBron is the point forward, one of the best passers ever, and Curry moving off the ball -- we're probably not going to get to see it.""
LeBron James doesn't appear to be leaving the Lakers for the Warriors anytime soon
While Myers is no longer with the organization there probably is not a single person in the media that is as plugged in with the team as him. The fact that he was willing to go onto national television and say that it probably won't happen is reason enough to believe that it won't.
For Lakers fans, this is a relief as the Warriors are the one team that actually seems like a threat to sign LeBron this summer. The teams that actually have cap space to sign LeBron are not contending destinations, while the Warriors are the one team that makes sense from a potential pay-cut standpoint.
The idea of making history with Curry certainly seems like it would be intriguing to LeBron and he would not have to uproot his entire life as San Francisco is just a short private jet flight from Los Angeles. On paper, the Warriors are the perfect place for LeBron to leave.
But, according to Myers, it is not something that basketball fans can expect to happen anytime soon. And for Lakers fans, that is great news.