The Golden State Warriors will continue to pursue LeBron James in the offseason, ESPN’s Zach Lowe revealed.
“The playoffs always inform the offseason. Everything I’ve heard for five years suggests James would prefer to finish his career as a Laker. Is that absolute? Who knows. There could be some breaking point at which the Lakers fall so far that James begins to look elsewhere. But the Lakers have one title and a conference finals appearance over the past four seasons. They will be able to trade three first-round picks this summer, and league sources expect them to search for a difference-making perimeter talent. That does not mean the Warriors will give up their pursuit of James,” Lowe wrote on February 16.
The Warriors tried but failed in the last trade deadline to acquire James from the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Armed with the encouragement of Warriors star Draymond Green, Golden State owner Joe Lacob reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to inquire whether James’ apparent public frustration could be interpreted as an opening to discuss a trade, sources said.
Buss told Lacob the Lakers had no desire to trade James, but that he would need to seek the answer on James’ state of mind from his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, sources said. As an owner, Buss has operated with the mindset that she wants her star players content with the franchise, and that instructed her thinking on referring Warriors leadership to James’ representation, sources said.
Ultimately, James showed no interest in a Warriors trade.
Potential LeBron James Package
If the Warriors would take a second shot at landing James, it has to be via the trade route again as they do not have the necessary cap room to sign the Lakers superstar outright if he declines his $51.4 million player option.
Lowe theorized what the Warriors would have to give up in an opt-in-and-trade-scenario to pair James with Stephen Curry.
“The Lakers would surely ask for one or both of Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, two players driving the Warriors’ reinvention and Golden State’s last, best shot at a bridge from one Curry era to another — and beyond. Chris Paul would likely be in the deal for salary-matching purposes. Depending on the other elements, the Warriors might also have to include one of Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. (Given his role as trade-concoction middleman and star Klutch client, Draymond Green would presumably remain in Golden State.),” Lowe wrote.
Stephen Curry Beats Sabrina Ionescu in 3-Point Challenge
Curry proved once again he’s the best shooter in mankind’s history.
The Warriors superstar delivered in the clutch to beat New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu 29-26 in the NBA vs. WNBA 3-point contest on February 17 as part of the All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
Curry entered the final rack — his money-ball rack where each ball was worth 2 points — with only 21 points. He made his last four to come out on top in a dramatic fashion.
Ionescu’s 26 points tied Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard’s winning score in the NBA 3-Point Shootout.
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Insider Reveals Warriors Plan After LeBron James Rejection