Sports analyst Colin Cowherd wants to talk about the idea of a LeBron James trade to the Golden State Warriors.
In Cowherd’s scenario, the Lakers would trade away James and acquire Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga.
LeBron James to the Warriors isn't as crazy as it sounds:
"Wiggins, Kuminga and Jordan Poole. It works." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/ZcIk0LzCFD
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 24, 2023
In recent years, the Warriors have seemingly tried to live on both sides of the fence by simultaneously having a veteran core and young core. If they were to make a deal like the one Cowherd is suggesting, they’d essentially be punting on their young core and giving their veteran core a phenomenal chance to compete for more titles.
The Lakers, on the other hand, would be gaining some very talented players who have bright futures in the NBA. Cowherd seems to like the idea of putting Wiggins, Kuminga and Poole on the same team as Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves.
But realistically, any trade of this nature seems extremely unlikely to happen. For now, the biggest question surrounding James’ future is whether or not he’ll return for another NBA season in the 2023-24 campaign.
With the idea of retirement apparently on the table for the future Hall of Famer, James has a big decision to make this offseason. There seems to be an expectation that the 38-year-old isn’t done yet in the NBA, but very few people truly know what he’s thinking at this very moment.
The 19-time All-Star finished the 2022-23 regular season with averages of 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. In the 2023 playoffs, he averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals before being swept by the Denver Nuggets.
If James wants to play in the NBA with his eldest son, which he’s talked about multiple times, he’ll need to stick around until at least the 2024-25 season. It remains to be seen if that’s going to play a role in the decision he makes about his future this offseason.
As for the Lakers, they’re in somewhat of a pickle as they try to figure out what their roster will look like going forward. With no certainty on James’ status, Los Angeles is dealing with more questions than answers.
