Warriors Make Surprising Moves: Multiple Calls to Lakers About LeBron Spark Trade Speculation

“I’m told that the Warriors have called the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to see whether there is any trade pathway to pairing James with Stephen Curry, who roughly a year ago at this time was teaming with LeBron for the United States senior men’s national team on its run to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.”

The Warriors still appear interested in LeBron James.

That iconic era, of course, ended nearly a year ago with the Americans bringing gold back to the States, notably under Golden State coach Steve Kerr.

It seems the Golden State Warriors aren’t done dreaming big just yet. Rumblings have surfaced that the Warriors might actually swing for the fences by eyeing none other than LeBron James — yes, that LeBron — as a potential trade target. But there’s a catch: before Golden State even picks up the phone to the Lakers in earnest, Jonathan Kuminga’s gotta take a step back and agree to a team-friendly two-year deal. Interessant, right? Over the last year and a half, whispers about pairing Steph Curry and LeBron again — this time in a Warriors jersey — haven’t exactly died down. Remember, these two went from fierce NBA Finals foes to teammates on Team USA, snagging gold at the Paris Olympics under the guidance of Steve Kerr. Now, with Kuminga’s future hanging in the balance, the Warriors seem poised to dangle the rookie as bait, showing once again their appetite for big-game hunting that’s yielded headline-grabbing moves in the past. The notion of rekindling that Curry-LeBron duo is tantalizing, and you can bet the Bay Area isn’t giving up on that dream just yet. LEARN MORE

“Who would the Warriors potentially pursue in trades if Kuminga were to relent and take their two-year offer?” Fischer wrote. “As long as LeBron James’ future in Los Angeles remains uncertain, Golden State will undoubtedly be mentioned as a potential James suitor.

Whether or not Kuminga returns to the Bay is yet to be determined. However, if he does, it sounds like the Warriors will, against the 22-year-old’s wishes, dangle him as bait while going for a big catch.

“The Warriors, furthermore, are known for their penchant to go big-game hunting, starting with their original pursuit of Durant in the summer of 2016 and carrying through to their February acquisition of [Jimmy] Butler,” Fischer wrote.

The only time Curry and James were teammates ended as amazingly as it possibly could have. Golden State is right to continue kicking the tires on bringing the unreal international tandem to the Bay.

The Stein Line’s NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Friday that Golden State would consider trading for the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar if the Warriors first can get Jonathan Kuminga to agree to a flexible, team-friendly two-year contract.

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Fischer added that Curry and James, despite their NBA Finals history as classic rivals, “enjoy[ed] their experience as teammates on the international stage” as members of Team USA at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.