For a long time, there has been talk about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James potentially teaming up with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, and this offseason, there may actually be a window for it to happen with James entering free agency.
But in the opinion of former NBA forward Chandler Parsons, a James-Curry duo in Golden State wouldn’t be enough to turn the Warriors into championship contenders.
“Sure, but do they win a championship? No,” Parsons said of the idea of James and Curry teaming up. “We’re talking the Western Conference with [San Antonio] Spurs, OKC, Denver, Houston, Lakers, Minnesota. They’re not gonna be better than most of those upper-echelon teams.
“Now, it would be awesome. It’d be incredible to see Steph and Draymond [Green], LeBron James wear a jersey in that arena for Steve Kerr. I think it’d be a cool story. I don’t think it moves the needle for the Warriors to be a championship contender, though, at all.”
The Warriors have made many attempts over the years to maximize their time with Curry, and they won a championship as recently as 2022. In all, Golden State has won four NBA titles since drafting Curry in 2009.
But over the last four seasons, the Warriors have missed the playoffs twice, including in the 2025-26 campaign. While the other two seasons did feature runs to the Western Conference semifinals, Golden State is going to need to bring in some outside help if it wants a chance to win another ring in the Curry era.
Although Parsons doesn’t believe James would move the needle enough for the Warriors to become title threats again, it’s hard to think of an addition they could make this summer (outside of perhaps a trade for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo) that would do more for the team than James.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game for the Lakers this season while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. He played well despite operating as a third option at times, and in the playoffs, he stepped up and helped L.A. win a series after injuries forced him into a bigger role.
James and Curry have been teammates in All-Star and Olympic environments, and their fit has always gotten fans excited. Lakers fans certainly wouldn’t be happy to see the two generational talents on the same team in the Bay Area next season, but the rest of the NBA world would probably enjoy the spectacle.
