With the NBA being full of surprises, there’s no telling how the final few days of the 2025-26 trade season will play out.
For example, the Golden State Warriors are likely to either complete a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade or make no move at all. However, could the seven-time NBA champions strike a deal with a different future Hall of Fame superstar?
Sports Illustrated’s Gray Deyo thinks so, as his hypothetical three-team trade involving Jonathan Kuminga would land the Warriors a 22-time All-Star and Los Angeles Lakers star.
“This would be a league-shaking deal in the Warriors' acquisition of James (Terrance Mann, Draymond Green, Moses Moody and two future first picks to the Lakers, James to the Warriors, and Kuminga, and Dalton Knecht to the Brooklyn Nets).”
“With that being said, it would not be their first attempt at trying to get the 22-time all-star. Back in 2024, the Warriors put in an offer for James near the trade deadline for James.”
“This mock finally pairs James up with (Stephen) Curry, whom James has mentioned he has wanted to play alongside. This mock deal puts the Warriors back into the borderline contender category, as they try to get the last drop of success with Curry still as their franchise player.”
The Warriors would possess the oldest duos in the league in Deyo’s mock trade. Curry, 37, and James, 41, are aging stars with limited time left in the big leagues. That said, even at their advanced ages, the two accomplished and well-respected phenoms could give the Warriors hope that a championship isn’t completely out of the picture.
Curry is still a masterful three-point shooter who attracts multiple defenders, and James is still one of the brightest minds in the NBA. Of course, Antetokounmpo is the ultimate prize for the Dubs, but James could wind up being the asset that gets traded to Golden State.
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