Grade the Trade: Steph, LeBron team up in LA as Warriors rebuild in bold proposal

Grading the trade for the Golden State Warriors

It's tough to give the Golden State Warriors a perfect mark with this deal. Unless they're able to include Dalton Knecht or another first-round pick from a third team, this return is going to feel "underwhelming" on the surface. But there should be some context added. Curry is 36 years old and could be older by the time this deal could seemingly come to fruition. Austin Reaves is a solid piece, which the Warriors could flip to another team or keep on their roster. Rui Hachimura is another tradable piece, but his value is unpredictable at the moment.

The same could be said about Jarred Vanderbilt and D'Angelo Russell. Still, those two future first-round picks in 2029 and 2031 could be extremely valuable if the Lakers are forced to hit the hard reset once LeBron James and Anthony Davis move on or call it a career. In 2029, AD will be in his late 30's and it would be surprising for him to still be playing at a high level in the league if he's still on the Lakers.

While this deal does leave a bit to be desired, it's not terrible and it's easy to see the potential value of owning the Lakers' draft picks in 2029 and 2031.

Grade: B+