Should the Warriors trade KD for Lebron in the off-season?

[Mylie10]

Hmmm.....Damien Lee or LeBron?......I'm not sure who would help the bench more.

[michaelm]

No.

[SAKURABA216]

I mean that's a very specific unlikely scenario, you'd need:

KD to be set on LA
KD to be set on not playing with Lebron
The Lakers having other FA's lined up that also don't want to play with Lebron but do want to be in LA so it makes sense to trade Lebron
The Clippers somehow not beign an option since they are also in LA

I've been very much of the opinion that the W's wouldn't pay a massive tax bill for second tier talent which to me means KD either stays or leaves for nothing but Lebron isn't second tier talent so I have to assume the team would do it. Like previously mentioned tho you'd need one particular set of circumstances that seems practically impossible.

Yeah, I guess this answers my question. I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be.

[Outside]

To the OP, my initial reaction is like several others -- hell no. But I'll set down the projectiles I want to throw at the mere idea of it and explain why.

Forget that it's impractical, that there aren't any realistic scenarios where that trade would happen, that I can't come up with any realistic trades involving other players. Forget the KD part. It doesn't matter if LeBron's contract were suddenly renegotiated so that he were a free agent or if the cap weren't an issue. I don't want LeBron on the team under any circumstances.

The Warriors have become an all-time championship team due in large part to the players buying in to playing in a selfless way on both ends of the court. The offense at its best is ball and player movement creating opportunities. Of course there is individual greatness -- Curry is the engine that makes it go with his shooting and driving ability. But he is the most selfless superstar, willing, happy even, to draw the defense, give up the ball, and let the defensive imbalance he created lead to a score two or three passes away that he gets no statistical credit for. He's willing, happy even, to work as hard off the ball as any superstar ever to get himself open or draw defensive attention that leads to an opportunity for someone else that he again gets no statistical credit for. He is willing to be an active cog in the team defense, putting in effort on that end, unlike many top offensive players who conserve energy on defense. He is the epitome of the team -- a talented player willing to do whatever he can to help the team win. It's all about the team winning, and it's an infectious culture with the tone set by their star player.

When LeBron is on the team, the team is all about LeBron. The offense would become LeBron ball, with him dominating play, dictating what happens. The roster has to be constructed to fit his style of play, with a bunch of catch-and-shoot three-point shooters or rim runners who can capitalize on the passes he sets up. Great players have to change their games to adapt to LeBron, because with LeBron on the team, everyone has to adapt to the way he plays. When LeBron doesn't have the ball, he stands somewhere out of the action and lets someone else go, a trend that has gotten increasingly prevalent in recent years. On defense, he mostly plays zone, forcing others to do the hard work to make up for his lack of movement. From a basketball standpoint, it's the opposite of the culture they've built to win championships, and it would ruin what they've built. They'd still be very good because LeBron is very good and they'd still have very good players, but they wouldn't be THIS good, and the culture that built these championships would be gone.

That's not to mention the passive-aggressive drama, his entourage that includes an increasingly powerful agent, the outsized power that he now wields within any organization he is a part of.

LeBron is a great player, one of the best of all time. Let him go be LeBron somewhere else. Him coming to the Warriors under whatever circumstances would be the end of the Warriors as we know them.

[HiRez]

Regardless of how you feel about LeBron, he’s not coming off the bench, come on people.

[Admiral-Kizaru]

lol no

[NetsWorld]

Why would Golden State trade KD for LeBron when KD has proven success in this system and they won two, about to be three, championships with him on the squad ever since he joined? Does not make any sense. Keep a prime Durant over a soon to be 35 year old LeBron. I predict KD will return to Golden State, it makes the most sense, and finish his playing career there. When you win two rings, monkey's off your back, no need to go and fix what is not broken.

Thankfully this organic Warriors team is far better than that Engineered Miami team we saw several years ago, far better and more enjoyable to watch. I commend the Warriors organization for growing their talent and sticking with it.

[Impuniti]

Hell no. Lebron plays zero defense right now and would want to micro-manage everything like he does at every club he's in. If it was a younger LeBron it would be a different story, but not for his corpse. KD is younger and better, makes no sense to make this move.

[TinoDubs]

Hell no. Lebron plays zero defense right now and would want to micro-manage everything like he does at every club he's in. If it was a younger LeBron it would be a different story, but not for his corpse. KD is younger and better, makes no sense to make this move.

Please note that we only make this move if KD want to be a Lakers. If we do not do a sign-n-trade deal, then we get nothing. Do you want to get nothing or you get LeBron?