Getty LeBron James laughing with Stephen Curry.
The Lakers are building a juggernaut in Los Angeles and the rest of the league is going to try to catch up. One team that was supposed to challenge the Lakers was the Golden State Warriors. They were getting Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry healthy, a duo that led the team to the most wins in a single regular season in NBA history.
Unfortunately for the NBA world, Thompson suffered a torn Achilles and won’t be back on the court anytime soon. It was a devastating blow to the Warriors and basketball as a whole. While they should be a decent team as long as Curry stays healthy, their title chances are all but gone.
Thompson has a long road to recovery and it’s reasonable to question if he’ll ever regain his elite form. It’s definitely too early for the Warriors to start thinking about embracing a rebuild but we’ve seen crazier things. NFL Hall of Famer turned Fox Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe called for the Warriors to deal Curry to the Lakers.
ALL the latest Los Angeles Lakers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Lakers Newsletter!
This Obviously Isn’t Going to Happen
There are so many reasons why this trade proposal is absolutely insane. If the Warriors decided it was time to move on from their all-time greatest player, they ain’t trading him to a team that plays in the same state. Also, Golden State could get a massive haul for Curry. He’s arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history and should be able to play at a high level for at least several more years.
There’s no way the Lakers will possibly have enough assets to put together an even moderately appealing trade package for the Warriors. They have almost no draft picks over the next few years thanks to the Anthony Davis trade. They also don’t have that much young talent that would be appealing. Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kyle Kuzma aren’t about to land the Lakers Curry. While it would certainly be epic to see Curry play with LeBron James and Davis, it’s something that could only happen in an All-Star game or the Olympics.
Can Warriors Still Compete This Season?
After a down year thanks to injuries, the Warriors were hoping to get right back to competing for championships this season. Thompson getting hurt is a huge blow to those aspirations. He’s their second-best player and one of the best shooting guards in the NBA.
Curry is still an elite player but he’s not the type of guy who can carry a team single-handedly to a championship. James Wiseman is an exciting rookie and the team still has Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. That’s a solid group of players but it’s not even in the same league as the Lakers, Clippers or even the Nuggets.
The Warriors definitely won’t be as bad as last season. Curry is too good for that to happen. However, there’s no way they’re sniffing a championship unless the front office can figure out how to make a shocking trade.