Is it possible that James will be traded to the Warriors? What are the reasons for this?

. The two players the Lakers may target: Jokic and Antetokounmpo, both of whom are likely to have determined their future before 2027.

More likely, any big-name player changes in the next few years will be achieved through trades, which is why James's trade began to make more sense for the Lakers. Even in the next offseason, when the Lakers' first-round picks become tradeable in 2026 and 2033, they are still at a clear asset disadvantage in pursuing star players. Teams like the Rockets and Spurs can easily surpass the Lakers in terms of youth talent and draft capital. ESPN's Brain Windhorst noted that the Lakers "basically view James as an expiration contract," partly because they can use salary flexibility as another weapon in deal negotiations next summer. Admittedly, they don’t have much draft picks to offer, but they can save a lot of money on opposing teams.

Perhaps this is important to other teams. It's hard to imagine that cap space is so important that it can narrow the gap between the Lakers and those rich in assets unless someone specifically asks to join the Lakers (this is of course possible, after all, we're talking about the Lakers). In fact, you can think that the Warriors draft capital is more valuable than cap space in trading negotiations, especially considering Butler will also become a contract expiring next offseason. Just imagine, don't you want to control a Warriors' future first-round pick formed around 41-year-old James and 37-year-old Curry? That team may be great in the short term, but they may be a disaster in the long term. Such assets will obviously be very valuable in the end pursuing star players.

How much draft capital is the Warriors willing to use to replace Butler with James? We don't know. Will James give up his trade veto for the Warriors, especially after refusing to join the Warriors in 2024? This is also unknown. At present, we are purely assumptions. Dealing negotiations of this scale are extremely complicated. What is the bottom line for this transaction?

James must believe that the Warriors can give him a better chance to win the championship than the Lakers. At present, the two teams seem to be at a similar level. The Warriors must also believe that James can give them a better chance to win the championship than Butler. This may be true, but it's not sure, and the deal brings another problem: if James is really that good, it means that the Lakers' own prospects may be good, and he may not be in a hurry to seek a deal. We also need to see how the Warriors will operate in the rest of the offseason, and perhaps how both sides will perform after the start of the new season. James may or may not have a sense of urgency in the future. The chances of such blockbuster transactions occur are usually slim.

Two things we know are: A. James is not completely satisfied with the current situation of the Lakers, otherwise he would not make such a statement; B. The Warriors have long been interested in James, but they have never been a suitable situation to get him. This situation has not changed, but it is likely to change in the near future. Like James, the Warriors are focused on the victory in front of them, while the Lakers are not. As long as there are other teams whose priorities are closer to James' goals, these trade rumors will not disappear. From a basketball perspective, if the Warriors are willing to offer a generous enough offer, it makes sense for the Lakers to trade James to the Warriors.

Original text: SamQuinn

Compiled by JayChan

source:7m en