The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to remain competitive after looking like one of the best teams in the Western Conference in November.
In an unexpected move that would shock the league, the Lakers could trade a father-son duo to the Golden State Warriors this season.
“It seems unlikely that LeBron James would waive his no-trade clause, but if he does, any trade the Los Angeles Lakers make would likely have to include Bronny James as well,” Fansided’s Luke Norris wrote Friday.
“The upside here is that the Warriors were interested in bringing Bronny to San Francisco anyway but opted not to so LeBron could realize his dream of playing alongside his son.”
“As you can see above, we’ve got the Warriors shipping Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Lindy Waters, and De’Anthony Melton to the Lakers to acquire the James gang. There would likely need to be a first-round draft pick in there as well.”
“Now, it might not seem as if the Dubs are giving up all that much. But one has to remember that while LeBron is still playing at an extremely high level, he’s also about to turn 40 on December 30.”
“So, it’s somewhat difficult to calculate exactly what his trade value might be at this point.”
“The Warriors have long dreamt about pairing James alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and this could be enough to get that done. Wiggins has returned to form this season, and Kuminga has had a solid season thus far as well.”
“Melton is out for the year with an ACL injury but his expiring $12.8 million contract could still be attractive to the Lakers as long as draft compensation is included. And LA also comes out ahead, as Waters is a better bench option than Bronny at this point.”
While James has proven to be an impactful superstar with the Lakers at age 39, he isn’t on his way to winning a championship in Year 22.
James is pulling his weight early on, averaging 23.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game, but the Lakers’ consistency on both ends of the floor has been non-existent.
James’ son, Bronny, hasn’t enjoyed much success in the NBA, but he’s currently thriving in the G League and receiving valuable reps as the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The idea of the first father-son duo in NBA history joining the Warriors is appealing.
However, considering the Warriors are preparing to swap Melton for Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schröder, this specific trade proposal won’t come to fruition.
More NBA: Lakers may cut ties with $109 million father-son duo via trade to Mavericks
