The Los Angeles Lakers are dealing with LeBron James trade rumors right now.
The latest reports claim that James hasn’t requested out, but that could change, and if King James does leave, it wouldn’t be to a non-contender.
That leaves only a handful of teams as realistic suitors for LeBron, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers being two of them.
But what about the New York Knicks?
New York would have to involve a third team in a LeBron deal, and the Oklahoma City Thunder might be interested in making the Lakers worse (they also have the picks necessary to be a useful third party here).
Check out the following deal…
Knicks receive: LeBron James, 2026 Second-Round Pick (Thunder)
Lakers receive: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Topic, 2031 First-Round Pick (Thunder)
Thunder receive: Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt
The Lakers could also give the Thunder Austin Reaves instead of the package of Knecht and Vanderbilt; it all depends on how they value Reaves versus Knecht.
Is this a perfect trade for everyone? No. The Lakers would probably want another first-rounder from the Thunder since LA is losing LeBron and Knecht in this trade.
But getting an elite two-way wing in his prime (Anunoby) and a rim-protecting center to pair with AD would set the Lakers up to stay afloat in the present, while Dieng, Topic, and OKC’s first-rounder would enhance LA’s future at the same time.
The Thunder would love to plug Knecht into what they already have going, and he fits with their timeline. Giving up a first-rounder and a second-rounder to get Knecht would feel like an overpay, but OKC can afford it given their treasure trove of picks.
Then there’s New York, who might be reluctant to give up Anunoby for a 40-year-old James.
At the end of the day, though, the Knicks might be tempted to see why a lineup of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, LeBron James, and Karl-Anthony Towns can’t beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series.
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