Will he stay or will he go? That is the question regarding LeBron James as the Los Angeles Lakers head into the offseason.
Many believe James suggesting he may retire is merely a ploy to put himself into a situation where he will have a stacked team that can win a fifth NBA championship next season.
The theory floating around is he is passive-aggressively pressuring the Lakers into making another run at his buddy Kyrie Irving. But there are a decent number of fans who want the team to trade him and move on.
Commentator Colin Cowherd seems to subscribe to that theory, and he even proposed L.A. send James to the Golden State Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole (h/t Lakers Daily).
LeBron James to the Warriors isn't as crazy as it sounds:
"Wiggins, Kuminga and Jordan Poole. It works." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/ZcIk0LzCFD
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 24, 2023
Cowherd’s reasoning is James would get to play with Stephen Curry, a superstar he has admitted he would love to team with. The Warriors would thus reload for one more title run after losing in the second round of the playoffs, and James would form another one of the superteams he is fond of.
At the same time, the Lakers would receive three good young players. Wiggins was an All-Star starter last season and is an excellent player at both ends of the court. Poole looked very promising last season, and Kuminga has potential. Cowherd also said such a move would put general manager Rob Pelinka in full control of the team free of James’ outsized influence.
However, it is extremely unlikely the Lakers trade James unless he demands one, and it would likely not be the best move to make for them. Instead, they will look to upgrade the cast around him, whether they go about it the right way or not.
