LeBron James Paired With Another Future Hall of Famer in Epic NBA Mock Trade
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LeBron James will retire eventually.
Savannah James apparently wants LeBron to retire within the next year or so, per @ShamsCharania
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2025
“It remains to be seen if James will reach season No. 24 or beyond. James went out to dinner in New York City this past week with his wife, Savannah; Miami Heat big man Kevin Love… pic.twitter.com/fiaw3hydd5
Or not.
Or yes.
Or no.
While we’re uncertain how the Chosen One’s next 365 days (or 730 days) (or 1,095 days) will look, we’re 500% sure he wants another ring before he hangs ‘em up.
And despite the fact he shares a Los Angeles locker room with a certain Mr. Doncic, it just doesn’t feel like it’ll happen with the Lakers. So it might be time for the Lake Show to become the Luka Show.
And it might also be time to let the King finish out his NBA life somewhere he can grab a final ‘chip.
And that somewhere might be about 370 miles to the north.
Dub Nation?
You know LeBron James would love to play alongside Steph Curry.
You know Steph Curry would love to play alongside LeBron James.
You know that a James/Curry pairing would immediately be in the championship mix.
So let’s make both of these legendary future Hall of Famers happy by shipping Bron to the Bay Area:
Golden State Warriors receive:
- LeBron James
- Bronny James
- Gabe Vincent
Los Angeles Lakers receive:
- Jimmy Butler
- Jonathan Kuminga (sign-and-trade)
- 2026 first-round draft pick (unprotected)
James would be on board with this trade for three reasons:
- 1) He gets to play with Curry.
- 2) He gets to play with Draymond Green.
- 3) He doesn’t have to play with Jimmy Butler.
There’s no documented proof that James and Butler have any kind of beef, but the eye-test (and hoops logic) tells us that these two ornery alphas might have trouble co-existing. Add Curry into the mix, and unless one of their teammates grabs a rebound, literally no Warrior would ever touch the ball.
Ever.
But James and Curry—both of whom are still playing at an elite level—could co-exist quite nicely. I mean, imagine LeBron running the point and Curry camping out beyond the arc. Or imagine Curry running the point and LeBron camping out in the paint. Or imagine LeBron and Green abusing opposing bigs on both ends of the court.
Yikes.
L.A. Story
Re: the Lakers, a Doncic/Butler duo could be lethal, as Jimmy Buckets doesn’t need to have his hands on the ball nearly as much as James. The deal would allow L.A. Luka could go back to being Dallas Luka., which, for my money, isn't a bad thing.
A Doncic/Kuminga/Austin Reeves would lay the groundwork for long term success—the trio’s average age is 25.4-years-old—and if newly-acquired center Deandre Ayton rediscovers his year-two form, a season in which he averaged career highs in points (18.2), boards (11.5), blocks (1.5), and minutes (32.5), this team could be something special. (Note: Ayton missed 44 games that year, but the numbers don’t lie.)
Does this get LeBron his ring? Doubtful, as the defending champion OKC Thunder are way deeper, way younger, and way more cohesive.
But a LeBron/Curry pairing would give both of the aging legends a better shot at a late-career title. Best of all, it would make for must-see viewing, so let’s get the paperwork rolling.
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Alan Goldsher has written about sports for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Apple, Playboy, NFL.com, and NBA.com, and he’s the creator of the Chicago Sports Stuff Substack. He’s the bestselling author of 15 books, and the founder/CEO of Gold Note Records. Alan lives in Chicago, where he writes, makes music, and consumes and creates way too much Bears content. You can visit him at http://www.AlanGoldsher.com and http://x.com/AlanGoldsher.