After the 2024 Olympics, several camps have discussed the possibility of LeBron James and Steph Curry teaming up in the NBA before their legendary careers are over.
But long before they teamed up in Paris, there was a potential move to send King James to the Bay Area. This almost took place at last season's trade deadline. In a recent article, ESPN's Marc Stein wrote that one of the main reasons why talks for that deal did not go far was LeBron's agent , Rich Paul .
"Sources say Paul implored both teams to scrap the concept — despite some owner-to-owner dialogue between the Warriors' Joe Lacob and the Lakers' Jeanie Buss and Green's determination to lobby James to push for relocation to the Bay Area — largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career," wrote Stein.
Warriors explored the possibility of acquiring LeBron
Last February, Stein's colleague Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the Golden State Warriors considered acquiring Bron from the Lakers before last season's trade deadline. Per Woj, the Warriors 'inquired' about the possibility of trading for the four-time MVP, but the talks never went beyond exploratory.
Dubs forward Draymond Green, a good buddy of Bron, reportedly went as far as texting Paul to ask his help in convincing James to agree to move to Golden State. During an interview at the All-Star weekend, LeBron denied that the story got to him .
"I actually heard about it when everybody else heard about it. … Sometimes, there's conversations that happen behind closed doors that you don't even know about. Until it's real or not, then they'll bring it to you. But it never even got to me," James said on TNT's "Inside The NBA."
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Just appreciate Paris for what it was
Even at that time, the thought of LeBron playing alongside Steph sounded strange. The two faced off in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. Curry won three of those four championship showdowns. Still, Bron spoiled the Warriors' best regular season with a stunning comeback win in the 2016 NBA Finals.
However, the narrative changed after the two teamed up on the Avengers team in the recently concluded Paris Olympics. Many want to see the two future Hall of Famers play together in one NBA city before they end their careers. Although LeBron recently signed an extension with the Lakers, that possibility could still come in 2026 .
Despite the ongoing rumors, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd dismissed a team-up in 2026, urging everyone to appreciate how special the two weeks in Paris were. He may have a point. It's even unclear if Bron wants to play that long. And even if he did, he and Steph will no longer be the Avengers two years from now.
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