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Lakers, Warriors Blockbuster Trade Idea Teams Up LeBron James and Steph Curry

Jason Fray|
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers

Could LeBron James and Steph Curry conceivably team up to form one of the most iconic duos in NBA history?

We saw how the two played together during the 2024 Summer Olympics where the duo led the United States to a gold medal. The thought of Curry and James playing with one another for a singular NBA franchise always appeared to be a pie-in-the-sky thought.

More news: Lakers Engaged in Trade Talks to Address Center Position: Report

However, with recent developments and rumors swirling, could we actually see this dream come to fruition?

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently came out with a piece in which he theorized about this exact situation. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, this doesn't mean Curry will be coming to LA. Instead, James will be headed to the Bay in what's being broken down as a very interesting package.

Warriors get: LeBron James

Lakers get: Jimmy Butler, Quinten Post

"The Golden State Warriors showed they still had some juice left by reaching the second round of the playoffs, even in a tough Western Conference. Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-NBA level even at age 37 (24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, NBA-high 4.4 three-pointers per game).cPairing Curry and James together would be a treat for NBA fans and allow the latter to stay in California, just a short flight from his Los Angeles home."

Swartz elaborated further on how this potential framework could help the Lakers stay relevant while also helping the team figure out the center spot.

"There's a few different iterations of a trade between these franchises, as a straight Jimmy Butler-James swap would work financially. Golden State could throw in one of its young centers (Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post) to help fill the void on the Lakers roster as well. The Warriors would be left with an aging yet still strong core of James, Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and others to chase one final championship together."

There are a couple of problematic issues with this deal on the surface. For one, would the Lakers really want to send James to one of their bigger rivals? Aside from that, taking on multiple years of Butler's contract does not sound overly appetizing considering the team reportedly wants to get younger and more athletic while also preserving cap space for 2027.

More news: Cooper Flagg Names Lakers' Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in All-Time List

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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