Insider lays out path for LeBron James, Stephen Curry to team up

With neither the Lakers nor the Warriors expected to compete for a championship in the upcoming NBA season, is it time for LeBron James and Stephen Curry to join forces?

The fantasy scenario of the two all-time greats linking up gathered steam after James and Curry exhibited tremendous chemistry as Team USA teammates at the Paris Olympics.

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins went as far as to suggest that either Curry or James should request a trade from their respective teams so that they could play together in pursuit of their fifth rings (both have four each).

"I would not be surprised if we see LeBron James and Steph Curry — before the end of LeBron's career — share the floor together," Perkins told ESPN's "First Take" earlier this week.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Bobby Marks laid a path for Curry and James to become teammates next year, citing that the latter has an opt-out clause in the two-year contract he inked with the Lakers this summer. If James opts out of his deal in 2025, he could join Curry on the Warriors, reckons Marks.

"LeBron James can become a free agent again next offseason, and pick his team that he would want to go to," Marks said. "Of course, that comes with him probably leaving $50 million on the table to go to a team like Golden State and join Steph Curry."

If James plays out both years of his Lakers contract, he and Curry will become free agents in 2026 —  unless the Warriors lock up Curry to an extension. Marks noted that 2026 could be a more realistic target for the two stars to pair up.

"Keep an eye on the summer of '26," Marks added.

Meanwhile, Perkins argued that the two legends are unlikely to wait until 2026 as they'd be way past their primes. James turns 40 this December and Curry turns 37 next March.

"We're talking about the two most powerful individuals in basketball," Perkins said. "If they want to get somewhere, they can, no matter what points of their contracts they are in."

Perkins is convinced that if the Lakers and Warriors' 2024-2025 campaigns get off to poor starts, James and Curry would be willing to relocate in the final phase of their illustrious careers.

The Lakers (+3000) and Warriors (+4000) enter the season with long-shot odds to win the title, behind at least eight other teams across the two conferences.