In most cases, I would say to take a report that an NBA superstar is mostly happy with their current struggling team with a grain of salt. As we know, in this league, the best players can say one thing and completely change their stance weeks later because they hold most of the power and leverage.
But when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that LeBron James really wants to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers instead of getting traded to the Golden State Warriors, I think we should believe all parties involved.
This situation is a bit different from your bog-standard “star looking for greener pastures” story.
During Wednesday morning’s episode of Get Up, Windhorst maintained that while the Warriors are still interested in pairing James with Steph Curry, that interest is not mutual. In fact, as Windhorst suggested, everything about James’ actions — from rebuffing the Warriors’ initial trade exploration to signing a new three-year contract with a no-trade clause — makes it clear he wants to remain a Laker in the twilight of his legendary career.
The report and argument make total sense. Windhorst’s monologue about James potentially joining the Warriors starts at the :42 second mark below:
Jimmy Butler and LeBron James are two stars on the Warriors’ radar, per @windhorstespn 👀
Could you see either of them playing in Golden State? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qrInvrqZiE
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 11, 2024
All of this sentiment tracks with how you’d think someone like James would approach the likely end of their extended career. He’s gonna be 40 by the end of 2024. He’s got his MVPs. He’s got his championships. He’s got his records. He’s got the whole “I shared the court with my son” thing.
Anything else from a basketball standpoint is gravy now.
While it would be cool to form up a legendary duo with a similarly older Curry as they pursue another title together, James is at the point of his career where he’s living it up in sunny Los Angeles with his family. So, of course, he prefers to try to compete with the Lakers as a hopeful championship contender. It doesn’t uproot any aspect of his current life. He’s probably not nearly as motivated as he used to be to add more trophies to his collection. If the Lakers can’t help James win, well, he’s likely at peace with everything he’s accomplished. And rightfully so.
James is past the point of rocking the boat with personal trade or free agency drama. Sorry, folks. The best snippets you’ll ever get of James and Curry lighting up opposing teams together are probably from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Savor those highlights while you can.
