Grade the trade for the Golden State Warriors
Grade: A
Trading for LeBron James is never a bad thing. For the Golden State Warriors, the question is if they'll have enough left on their roster to prove to be competitive enough in the Western Conference to compete for a championship. After this specific deal, the Warriors would be left with a rotation that features Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II, Draymond Green, LeBron James, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Kevon Looney. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that's a championship roster.
Unless Podziemski is going to make a huge jump to stardom this season, which could be the case, the Warriors could still be considered a piece away. Nevertheless, as long as Steph Curry and LeBron are healthy, they're going to have a shot. And isn't that what this deal is about - giving the Warriors a chance at a title?
In many ways, while this deal doesn't make the Warriors the favorites, it certainly accomplishes what it needs to. This deal would give the Warriors a fighting chance in the West and that's all they need at this point.