When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Anthony Davis to pair with LeBron James, the duo came together to win a championship in their first season together.
Now, another franchise is trying to recreate that magic as according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Golden State Warriors are attempting to land both James and Davis to reunite them this offseason:
The Warriors are attempting to trade for Wizards big Anthony Davis and then sign Lakers free-agent forward LeBron James, according to multiple league sources.
A trade for Davis would have to include Jimmy Butler, who is on an expiring $57 million contract while recovering from a torn ACL. The Warriors would also have to include draft capital — they have two future firsts and four first-round swaps to work with in any deal.
Sources say the Warriors hope adding Davis would help lure LeBron from Los Angeles to the Bay Area once free agency officially opens Tuesday. The pitch would be simple: reunite with AD, team up with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, play for Steve Kerr, and chase one more championship with a roster of legends.
The Warriors have had known interest in James for a while as they look to give Stephen Curry a true running mate to compete for another championship. While many were skeptical that James would go finish his career with his biggest rival, if they are able to acquire his good friend Davis in a trade with the Washington Wizards then that would certainly help convince the 41-year-old.
With the start of free agency just around the corner, James will have to make his decision quick, which means the clock could be ticking for Golden State to acquire Davis.
If they are able to do that, then James would have to play for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of around $15 million for the upcoming season. There has been no indication that he is willing to do that, although if there is any situation outside of L.A. that he may be willing to, this one would make some sense.
Outside of the Lakers and Warriors, James has also been rumored to be considering a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and also the Miami Heat as well after they acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.
One thing that is certain is that wherever James decides to play, he will be looking to compete for a championship. That means the Lakers will need to make some roster upgrades if they want him to stay.
Lakers haven’t yet made offer to LeBron James
The Lakers have the most cap space in the NBA and can offer James significantly more than any other team as things currently stand. According to recent reports though, L.A. has not yet made an offer to James.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
