The surprising reason why LeBron James wasn't traded to the Golden State Warriors has been revealed.
In what could end up being considered one of the bigger "what ifs" in NBA history, it was reported shortly after the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline that the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors held significant trade talks centered around LeBron James. In the end, though, the trade that would've sent LeBron to the Warriors didn't end up happening. At the time, it wasn't clear why it didn't happen, but LeBron certainly played it down.
Now, though, that entire situation has become a bit more clearer. According to Marc Stein, the trade between the Lakers and Warriors didn't proceed forward at least in part because LeBron's agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, wasn't too thrilled about his client being traded to Golden State.
From a PR perspective, the idea of LeBron demanding a trade to the Warriors probably would've ended up being a bad look. As LeBron inches closer to the end of his Hall of Fame career, it's not surprising Paul didn't want that for him at this point.
LeBron James teaming up with Steph Curry would've been epic
Perhaps in part due to how the reception was across the league when Kevin Durant decided to sign with the Warriors, it's easy to see how there could've been some concerns. Even though a past-his-prime LeBron teaming up with a past-his-prime Steph Curry is certainly not the same thing as what KD did back in 2016, the backlash certainly would've been present.
Considering how much LeBron has been able to salvage the narrative surrounding his career of late, it would make little to no sense for him to make such a bold move this late in his career. Even less so considering how little of a guarantee teaming up with Curry would be.
Nevertheless, especially after watching them in the Olympics, the entertainment that a LeBron and Steph duo would've brought would've been amazing.
Has that ship sailed? Is the idea of LeBron playing with Steph all but over? Probably. However, I suppose you can never say never. There's no question that this offseason might've been the perfect opportunity for both players to push toward that possibility.
As LeBron and Steph prepare for the new season, both will have an uphill battle with their teams in an attempt to win one more championship before the end of their respective careers. But, oh boy, were they close to teaming up.