LeBron James almost had his Steph Curry wish after Warrior’s eleventh-hour trade bid

The Golden State Warriors reportedly made a play to pair LeBron James with Stephen Curry at the trade deadline.

The Golden State Warriors’ front office has been just as aware as the rest of the NBA world about superstar LeBron James’ uncertain long-term future with the Los Angeles Lakers.

So much so, that they reportedly tried to push their chips to the front of the table and form an epic pairing with James and franchise player Stephen Curry at this year’s trade deadline.

The Warriors fed off of James’ open desire to play alongside the two-time league MVP and had a chance to give their dynastic fabric a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Warriors tried forming Warriors superteam with Steph Curry

Warriors owner Joe Lacob remembered when James confessed that Curry was the one player he wanted to share the court with most in a 2022 episode of his HBO series “The Shop,” per CBS Sports’ Collin Ward-Henniger:

“Steph Curry’s the one that I wanna play with for sure, in today’s game. … I love everything about that guy. Lethal. When he get out his car, you better guard him right from the moment he pulls up to the arena.”

Cleaving unto those sentiments and the recent waves James has made, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelbourne revealed that Lacob and Lakers owner Jeannie Buss spoke regarding James’ openness to a change of scenery.

“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.”

When Lacob took Buss up on her suggestion and enquired at the mouth of James’ agent Rich Paul, the trade package Lacob was willing to offer was shot down, as Wojnarowski and Shelbourne further expounded on:

“Paul told Lacob and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., that James had no interest in a trade and wanted to remain a Laker, sources said.”

The Warriors have struggled in 2023-24. Coincidentally, James has sent out cryptic messages including an admission that he’s thought about playing in New York for the Knicks at one time in his career before draping himself in a Knicks towel after the Lakers’ win over the Jalen-Brunson led team on Feb. 3, suggesting he may have been fed up with his situation in L.A.

The two dynamics could have made for a perfect pairing and another Warriors superteam but for now, Golden State will continue with their troops and James with his in a tight Western Conference.