Warriors starting lineup if they had pulled off rumored LeBron trade

Following reports emerging that the Golden State Warriors approached the Los Angeles Lakers about trading for 39-year-old superstar LeBron James ahead of the trade deadline, we crafted up a hypothetical outgoing package that brings The King to the Bay Area.

In said trade, the Dubs would trade two starters to Los Angeles in exchange for one. Of course, they’d be acquiring arguably the greatest player in league history to form arguably the most dynamic duo in league history -- but there would be a spot to fill in the starting five alongside James, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins.

Who would that be?

Golden State Warriors starting lineup if they traded for LeBron James

• PG: Stephen Curry 
• SG: Brandin Podziemski 
• SF: Andrew Wiggins 
• PF: LeBron James 
• C: Draymond Green

Rookie shooting guard Brandin Podziemski, who the Warriors selected with the nineteenth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, would slot into the starting lineup alongside three future Hall of Famers and Wiggins.

Podziemski has benefited from an expanded role in February:

The rookie guard doesn’t need the ball in his hands to thrive on the court and provides a little bit of everything while shooting 36.1 percent from beyond the arc and maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor, a perfect complimentary fit next to Curry and James. 

Alas, this is all for not. The trade deadline has passed -- James remains with the Lakers as they compete with the Warriors for potential seeding implications in the NBA Play-In Tournament down the stretch of the season.

The Lakers are 29-26 and find themselves in ninth place in the Western Conference, ahead of the tenth-place Warriors (26-25) by one game in the standings. However, Golden State has found their rhythm of late since deploying a smaller lineup with Green operating as their starting center.