The Golden State Warriors were in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers for an unthinkable blockbuster trade to acquire star LeBron James during the 2023-24 NBA season trade deadline last February.
One person, however, vehemently opposed the deal, which would have arguably been the most infamous transaction in NBA history, and it ultimately did not materialize.
James' agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul spoke with both the Lakers and Warriors and urged them to scrap the idea, according to league insider Marc Stein on SubStack . Paul reportedly wanted to protect the NBA's all-time leading scorer from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career.
Warriors star Draymond Green, who Paul also represents, encouraged Warriors owner Joe Lacob to pursue James. This led to a conversation between Lacob and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss about the potential deal, but both the Lakers and James rejected Golden State's interest.
James spent the first part of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers starting in 2003 and moved to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010 during a highly scrutinized free agency saga.
After winning the first two championships of his career down in South Beach, the 6-foot-8 forward returned to Cleveland in 2014, where he led the Cavs to the franchise's first championship two years later.
The Akron, Ohio native moved to the Lakers in the summer of 2018, leading them to the 2020 NBA Championship in the bubble.
During his time with the Cavaliers, James faced the Warriors in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years from 2015 to 2018. He also recently faced off against them in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals, now playing for the Lakers.
Warriors Weren't The Only Team Who Pursued LeBron James
Aside from the Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers also inquired about James' availability during the trade deadline. Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey called Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to discuss a potential James trade after he made a cryptic social media post featuring an hourglass during the week before the deadline.
Pelinka immediately responded that the 39-year-old was unavailable and quipped by asking Morey if Sixers star Joel Embiid was also available for a trade, ending their brief talks.
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