NBA Rumors: GSW Could Trade Klay Thompson And Andre Iguodala For LeBron James, According To Analyst
Despite the formation of numerous “Super Teams,” the Golden State Warriors remain as the top favorite to win the NBA championship title this season. They currently reside in the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with a 40-11 record. However, this does not stop them from being involved in various rumors, and the latest speculation linked them to Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, LeBron James is open to the possibility of meeting with the Warriors in the upcoming free agency if they manage to create a maximum salary cap space. In Golden State, James can easily win multiple NBA championship titles which will allow him to surpass Michael Jordan as the “G.O.A.T.” The acquisition of James will make the Warriors the best team that ever exist in the NBA history.
However, the idea of signing James won’t be easy. According to Kevin Pelton of ESPN, the most realistic way to acquire the 33-year-old NBA All-Star is via sign-and-trade scenario. Pelton suggested trading Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala to the Cavaliers for James to match the salary. Also, the Warriors will need to move Shaun Livingston to a team with salary cap space and convince Kevin Durant to decline his player option and take less money.
The package including Klay Thompson will undeniably convince the Cavaliers to make a deal even to their biggest rival. According to Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated, before sending Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, Cleveland offered him to the Warriors for Thompson. However, Golden State declined the deal. This only shows how the Warriors are committed to keeping their core intact.
As Haynes noted, there is no strong indication that the Warriors will pursue LeBron James in the upcoming free agency. So far, the Warriors don’t see the need to improve their roster. They look confident that they can defend their title this season with the current players they have.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and the Cavaliers continue to struggle and have been active on the trade market. The drama and dysfunction surrounding Cleveland make them no longer the favorite to dominate the Eastern Conference. A disappointing 2017-18 NBA season will force James to leave his hometown for the second time and chase an NBA championship title with another team. However, don’t expect the Warriors to be one of the NBA teams who will go after him in free agency.
