What a Warriors-Lakers trade around LeBron James would have looked like

In light of recent reports suggesting that the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers pursued 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, it makes you wonder: What would it take to acquire James?

In Year 21 of his decorated career, James is still playing at an All-NBA level and has a $51 million player option for 2024 that he’d likely opt into in the event he was traded to either Golden State or Philly (assuming he were to sign off on whatever deal took place).

For now, Warriors and 76ers fans can only dream about the prospects of James playing alongside Stephen Curry or reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid. While talks never ultimately got very far between the Lakers and Dubs, James has vocalized his desire to play alongside Curry in the past. 

Having said that, let’s conjure a potential trade between Los Angeles and Golden State would’ve looked like to bring King James to the Bay Area to pair with the best shooter of all time as they both pursue their fifth NBA Championship together and form what would be arguably the most lethal duo in league history.

Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors hypothetical LeBron James trade

If the Warriors wanted James, it’d cost them parting ways with 21-year-old ascending wing Jonathan Kuminga, paired with veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson and his expiring $43 million price tag being sent to Los Angeles to make the money work for both sides.

Thompson, a Los Angeles native, would get a homecoming with an opportunity to finish his NBA career as a Laker, like his father Mychal did in 1990-91.

However, the emotional attachment [Klay] Thompson has developed with the Warriors franchise and fanbase during his 13-year NBA career makes this baffling to envision, winning four titles and enduring two season-ending injuries with an organization that has stuck by him repeatedly through the ups and downs.

Another layer to this trade that complicates matters is Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. making it clear that Kuminga was “as untouchable as guys can be in this league” ahead of the trade deadline, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Next, the Lakers would receive a 2025 second-round pick that is top-55 protected via the Charlotte Hornets and a 2026 unprotected second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks in the trade to sweeten the deal and secure some additional draft capital in addition to Thompson and Kuminga.

While this is purely imaginative at this point, it is fun to think about the idea of pairing James and Curry and what could’ve been. These teams would have potentially been trade-compatible ahead of the deadline had Golden State been willing to include Kuminga and part ways with Thompson.