Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has already indicated that he won’t waive his no-trade clause to see a trade following the Luka Doncic blockbuster, but nothing can be ruled out after a stunning trade that the Lakers pulled off. Some in the media industry want to see James suit up in a different uniform to close out his Hall of Fame career.
Stephen A. Smith wants LeBron James to join the Warriors or Knicks
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wants to see James waive his no-trade clause exclusively for two teams: the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks:
“I go to Rich Paul and tell him I’ll waive my no-trade clause for one of two teams,” Smith said on ESPN’s Get Up. “It’ll either be to join Steph Curry in Golden State or to go to New York with the Knicks, one of the two. Now, the Knicks will obviously be more difficult because they traded away five first-round picks to get Mikal Bridges. And I love Bridges, but damn, five first-round picks? But, I’m not gonna belabor that; they did what they did.”
James has spent the past seven seasons with the Lakers, and the 40-year-old is still one of the top players in the NBA. This season, he is averaging 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists through 44 games and has the Lakers in a good position to head back to the playoffs, but this time they are geared up for a deeper run following the Doncic acquisition.
The reason that trade rumors surrounding James have sparked is due to the fact that Los Angeles has indicated a shift in power on the roster. They are ready to build a team around the 25-year-old Doncic once James’ career comes to an end, and time is running out for James to win another ring in his illustrious career.
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Making a trade for James will be far from easy
It is unlikely that James will waive his no-trade clause at all during the season, as he seems to be committed to winning with the Lakers this season. However, if he were to, making a trade for him would be extremely difficult for both the Warriors and Knicks, but especially New York.
The Knicks traded away a lot of their draft capital in the offseason to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. Both players have made a tremendous impact for the Knicks, but they are slightly capped on making a significant trade as they are approaching the second apron. Additionally, New York doesn’t need to make a trade for James, as their team is good enough to win a title this season as currently constructed.
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The Warriors, on the other hand, need to make a splash move if they want to form a good team around Stephen Curry, whose time in the league is also approaching the end. After a hot start to the season, they have fallen to .500 with the trade deadline just days away, so they will be more inclined to make a splash for any big name that becomes available on the market.
It can be fun to picture James being moved elsewhere in what has been a stunning trade season, but it is highly unlikely that the G.O.A.T. will leave Los Angeles any time soon.