Grade the Trade: Steph, LeBron team up in LA as Warriors rebuild in bold proposal
Grade the Trade: Steph Curry and LeBron James team up with the Los Angeles Lakers as the Golden State Warriors pivot toward a retooling around their young gems.
We may have reached the slowest part of the NBA offseason with the NBA Draft, Free Agency, and Olympics in the rearview mirror. But this is around the time when speculation truly begins to rise. And recently, the dynamic play of Stephen Curry and LeBron James en route to helping Team USA Basketball win Gold, and ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins did a good job of getting the conversation going.
Perk speculated on the idea of Curry and LeBron teaming up at some point in the future if the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, respectively, got off to slow starts. As both closely approach the end of their professional careers, you can't help but wonder if they'd be open to it as they search for one more shot at winning an NBA Championship.
Why a Steph Curry trade to the Los Angeles Lakers makes the most sense
As outrageous of an idea as it may be, if it is going to happen, you'd imagine that a Curry trade to the Lakers is one that would make the most sense - especially considering that they would have the best third piece with Anthony Davis on the roster. The financial part of it all could make things incredibly difficult but from a team-building perspective, the Lakers' roster might be the one that would give the Hall of Fame duo the best shot to win a championship in the next two seasons.
Mapping out a path toward a deal could prove to be difficult. However, considering how much Curry is valued by the Warriors, you'd imagine that if he did demand a trade, the team would work to get him to his desired spot.
That means, if he wanted, Curry to the Lakers could be a real thing. The key part of it all is whether he would prefer that than riding out his career with Golden State - and that's no guarantee. For a second, let's assume he would. Let's explore (and grade) what a potential Curry trade to the Lakers would look like.