At 38 years old, LeBron James is nearing the end of his long and storied NBA career. With 20 seasons of greatness under his belt, he can feel good about his body of work, and there is no question that his legacy as one of the All-Time greats has already been solidified. If James were to retire tomorrow, it would be impossible to call his career anything but an astounding success. Even still, it’s no secret that LeBron is always driven to add more titles to his resume, and playing for anything but a championship now just isn’t in the works for the 4x MVP at this stage of his career. The question is, can he continue to compete as a member of the Lakers?
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Speaking on ‘the Herd,’ sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd suggested a possible path for LeBron that could involve him joining the Warriors to capture his final championship in an epic team-up with Stephen Curry.
“LeBron to the Warriors is something people are talking about… it would feel like they’re punting on the future, but they already got rid of Wiseman and they said last week that Klay, Draymond, and Steph is what they’re building around. The Warriors love high-IQ guys, veterans and they’re also into winning now. LeBron’s good at that.”
As risky as the move would be for Golden State, trading LeBron would seem like an even riskier move for the Lakers, in this scenario. But, according to Colin, a return of Wiggins, Poole, and Kuminga could make it work.
“We looked it up this morning. Wiggins, Kuminga, and Jordan Poole. It works. With Rui and AD, it really works. So my wings would be Rui, Wiggins, and Kuminga? I’ll sign up for that Youth, coachable guys. My big would be AD near the rim, my guards would be no-ego Austin Reaves and Jordan Poole. I can live with that.”
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For the Lakers, trading LeBron James is an almost unthinkable option, even despite his recent talks of retirement. But perhaps Rob Pelinka could be convinced to think more about it if the Lakers fail to get significantly better in the offseason. Besides Davis, LeBron may be their biggest trade chip of all. The concern for the Lakers would be the status of Anthony Davis and determining whether they can win a title with him as the leader of the team.
Meanwhile, in Golden State, I can see a world where the Warriors get desperate to make one last run with Stephen Curry in his prime. At 35 years old now, the window is closing for this version of the Warriors, but James could extend that window for at least a few more years with what he brings to the table.
For now, it’s impossible to say how this summer will play out, but the topic of LeBron’s final season is going to become an increasing point of interest as the weeks and months roll on. If he wants to catch Kobe and MJ in rings, now may be his last chance to make a run.