LeBron James was apparently targeted by the Golden State Warriors in a trade attempt before the NBA deadline, according to ESPN. However, both LeBron and the Lakers showed no interest in the proposal. The details of the offer were not disclosed, but it seems that James was not interested in joining his longtime adversary Stephen Curry. Not only the Warriors, but the Philadelphia 76ers’ Daryl Morey also made an attempt to acquire James. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka declined Morey’s offer, but interestingly countered by proposing a trade involving Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP. Morey also explored the possibility of acquiring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal from the Phoenix Suns, although these players were not available for trade.
Was LeBron James on the verge of teaming up with his rival of many years, Stephen Curry, in the Bay?
According to ESPN, there are reports of Sixers president Daryl Morey’s unsuccessful endeavor to acquire the basketball superstar LeBron James.
The recent acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie by the Los Angeles Lakers was supported by Draymond Green, leading Golden State owner Joe Lacob to reach out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. However, Buss expressed her lack of interest in the move but wanted to involve LeBron James in the decision-making process. This information was reported by ESPN.
Lacob was disappointed when Rich Paul, James’ agent and CEO of Klutch Sports, conveyed that his client had no interest in the move. This interaction took place between Lacob and Paul, but the desired outcome was not achieved.
Over the years, James and Curry have become linked in the minds of NBA fans due to their four consecutive meetings in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. While Curry’s Warriors won three of those series, James’ Cleveland Cavaliers managed to come back from a 3-1 deficit and shock Golden State in 2016.
Since then, James has secured a championship title with the Lakers, while Curry added his fourth ring in 2022 when the Warriors triumphed over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
However, this season, both James and Curry find themselves on the outskirts of the Western Conference playoff picture. As of Wednesday, the Lakers hold the ninth position with a record of 29-26, while the Warriors are in tenth place with a record of 26-25.
Despite approaching the age of 40, James continues to be regarded as one of the best players in basketball. He maintains impressive statistics, averaging 24.8 points per game for the Lakers, with a remarkable 39.5 percent success rate in his 3-point attempts and contributing 7.8 assists per game.