Stephen Curry and LeBron James — it sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately for the Golden State Warriors, that is not a union that anyone should be banking on seeing in the immediate future. Not if Rich Paul is to be believed.
As LeBron's agent, Paul's words are woth paying attention to when discussing the Los Angeles Lakers star. When Max Kellerman floated an idea from Bill Simmons that was shared on his podcast about James and Jimmy Butler trading places, the CEO of Klutch Sports Group was unimpressed.
"Fantasy basketball," Paul told Kellerman on a recent episode of Game Over.
Kellerman was far more sold on the idea. There was even a healthy belief coming from his direction regarding all the positives Butler could bring to the Lakers. For anyone wishing for the swap, one of those two guys on the podcast represents LeBron. It's not the guy who was talking himself into the hypothetical trade.
LeBron James trade to the Golden State Warriors remains a pipe dream
From the Lakers' perspective, there should be no rush to get James out of the building in Los Angeles. Some of the early returns this season on optimizing the roster have not been the smoothest. However, Los Angeles remains in a solid spot.
James' contract is due to expire in the 2026 offseason. If there is no desire to bring him back into the mix after that point, the Lakers can use that money elsewhere to retool around Luka Doncic.
For LeBron and his representatives, why would the all-time great be jumping at the idea of leaving Los Angeles?
The basketball situation is a good one. It may not be the perfect contender that Paul expressed was desired during the summer of 2025. However, it certainly is not a situation akin to Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards either.
The less spoken about side of the equation for James would also be the off-court advantages that exist for him in Los Angeles. There is no other place better for him to continue growing his post-basketball business ventures than where he is right now.
Given the no-trade clause on James' contract, all discussions about his future this season will flow through him and Paul. If the disinterest from LeBron's agent is a fair indicator on the matter, the legendary figure is not clawing at the door to get out by any means.