In an alternate scenario, LeBron James might have joined the Golden State Warriors, but according to NBA insider Marc Stein, such talks were quickly shut down. The Los Angeles Lakers and Warriors had tentative discussions about a potential trade involving the 20-time All-Star, but the idea was quashed by James’ agent and close friend, Rich Paul.
Stein reported that the Lakers might have reluctantly considered trading James to the Warriors before last February’s trade deadline if James had pushed for it. However, the discussions didn’t progress far because Rich Paul was strongly opposed to the idea of James leaving Southern California for Northern California.
Had the trade gone through, it would have created a formidable lineup with James joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green for another championship run. However, Thompson has since moved to Dallas, and James is set to return to the Lakers for the 2024-25 season.
Stein noted that Rich Paul urged both teams to abandon the trade concept to protect James from potential backlash for switching teams for the fourth time in his career. James previously left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat, where he won multiple NBA titles alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He later returned to Cleveland to lead the Cavaliers to a championship in 2016 before moving to the Lakers in 2018.
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