Unless a drastic move occurs this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar forward, LeBron James, will spend his 23rd NBA campaign with the 17-time NBA champions.
However, as it relates to the 2026 offseason, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn believes that James could leave Los Angeles to chase a late-career championship with the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors.
“The Warriors owe around $140 million to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green for the 2026-27 season,” Quinn wrote Monday. “Adding James at a higher sign-and-trade salary would just be impractical.”
“They'd be devoting almost their entire payroll to four players aged-36 or older, and that's before we consider the idea that they sign Al Horford this offseason and he wants to play multiple years.”
“Still, barring a long-term commitment to (Jonathan) Kuminga, Golden State's supporting cast is still cheap enough that the Warriors should have plausible paths to the full mid-level exception. That is especially true with Buddy Hield on a non-guaranteed $9.7 million salary.”
“That gives them a unilateral way to shed money if they need to. The Warriors tried to land James at the 2024 trade deadline. He said no then. Maybe he'll be more interested next summer.”
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Although James and Curry have never competed with the same franchise, they’ve expressed respect for one another throughout the years.
James has built a Hall of Fame resume by using his remarkable strength, athleticism, and ‘eyes in the back of his head’ approach to locate teammates in a timely fashion.
Curry, on the other hand, has changed the game with his breathtaking three-point shooting.
Whether setting defenders up before exploding off screens or employing his mesmerizing yo-yo ball-handling chops to create ample separation on the perimeter, the four-time NBA champion has made a living drilling dagger threes with the Warriors.
Although James is set to give his partnership with Luka Doncic another go, a title-less campaign at age 41 could compel the 21-time All-Star to spend a season with, perhaps, the most gifted long-range shooter ever in Curry.
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