The Warriors stood relatively pat at the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.
Golden State reportedly attempted an earth-shattering move that would have shaken the league to its core had it been completed.
The Warriors, on the eve of the deadline, attempted to trade for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James in an attempt to pair the all-time great with superstar Steph Curry, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday morning, citing sources.
Golden State's shocking effort was unsuccessful, but it wasn't for a lack of effort on multiple fronts.
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Interested in acquiring the 20-time NBA All-Star, Warriors owner Joe Lacob reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to inquire about James' availability after the veteran forward's perceived public frustration with the team's performance, Wojnarowski reported, citing sources.
Lacob reportedly was told by Buss the team had no interest in trading James and that he would need to speak with his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who told Lacob and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. his client had no interest in being moved and wanted to remain with the Lakers.
On Wednesday before the deadline, Warriors forward Draymond Green, another Klutch Sports client, sent Paul a text message offering his help in attempting to recruit James to the Warriors, Wojnarowski reported, citing sources.
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Wojnarowski also reported that Dunleavy reached out to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka separately to inquire about James, who also received interest from Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. The conversations with both executives reportedly were short.
While their impromptu pursuit of James failed, the Warriors could have another shot at acquiring the future Hall of Famer this offseason with James holding a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season. Although, Wojnarowski reported, citing sources, that James "remains focused" on returning to the Lakers next season.
