The Warriors and Lakers have recently made big news, with rumors of trading James to Golden State. The Lakers have expressed their willingness to let him go, but James himself seems to be hesitating, causing both sides to anxiously await his decision.
The Warriors have had their eye on James for a while, wanting to pair him with Curry. This plan has been in the works since last season, with the management believing that if they can get these two playing together, winning championships would be as easy as child's play.
Despite currently ranking fifth in the West, the Warriors feel that this is not enough. General Manager Dunleavy and owner Lacob are constantly thinking about how to find a helper for Curry, and they believe James is the best choice.
In order to acquire James, the Warriors have gone all out, offering multiple first-round draft picks and even being willing to part with young players like Kuminga. This shows that they are truly serious about getting James.
Green, an experienced player, has also been busy, constantly working on James and his agent Paul, hoping to convince James to join the Warriors and achieve great things. Curry is also very interested in this matter.
The Lakers have not been having a good time recently, with their team performance continuously declining. Jeanie Buss and Pelinka have stated that if James wants to leave, they will not stand in his way.
The Lakers' confidence in James leading them to a championship has waned, and the coaching staff even wants James to play fewer games and focus more on off-ball play, making James uncomfortable on the court.
The Lakers' management is also considering taking advantage of James' remaining career to quickly bring in younger players for rebuilding. After all, James is not getting any younger, and delaying further may result in nothing in return.
For this trade to happen, the luxury tax must be considered. According to the rules, the difference between the salaries of the players the Warriors acquire and those they send out cannot exceed $500,000, and the Lakers have even stricter regulations.
James earns nearly $50 million a year, so the Warriors would need to package Wiggins, Kuminga, Melton, and Davis to make up the amount, which is no small feat for such a large transaction.
James is quite indecisive. In the past year, he had two opportunities to change teams, once before the trade deadline and once when the free agent market opened, but he did not take action.
James and his family really like Los Angeles. To continue playing for the Lakers, he was willing to accept less money during contract renewals, hoping the team would sign more helpers.
However, James' tone has recently changed. When asked in the past if he wanted to go to the Warriors, he directly said no. Now, when asked, he says he doesn't know, indicating a significant softening of his stance.
Both the Warriors and Lakers are waiting for James to make up his mind, but with the trade deadline approaching, James needs to decide quickly whether to stay with the Lakers or join forces with Curry at the Warriors to take a gamble.
The Lakers' current situation is indeed not good, hovering around the play-in tournament area. If James really wants to win another championship, he might seriously consider changing teams.
As journalist Windhorst correctly pointed out, it all comes down to James' decision now. Whether he continues to be the boss in Los Angeles or goes to the Bay Area to fight with Curry, this matter needs to be settled before the trade deadline.