In the 23-24 NBA playoffs, with the end of the seven-game between the Magic and the Cavaliers, the first round of the series has come to an end, and the road to the playoffs of the older generation of superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant has also ended, and their Lakers and Suns were eliminated by the Nuggets and Timberwolves, two young teams. Coupled with the fact that the Warriors led by another supergiant, Stephen Curry, fell in the play-offs, and the three supergiants of the old era are now completely out of the game, and the former era seems to have come to an end.
However, the reason why supergiants are called supergiants is because of their super ability, even if their results in leading the team this year are not good, but their personal statistics are still very gorgeous, this season James can average 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in the regular season, which is very comprehensive, ranking in the forefront of the league's forwards; Curry can average 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in the regular season, which is also not bad, and the current league statistics can surpass him by a handful.
As a result, there is no doubt about whether James, who has a player option, has a chance to move to Curry's Warriors next season and fight for a championship with his former rivals at the end of his career. In the author's opinion, this is not impossible, and if the Warriors are willing to give enough chips, it will be enough to create such a win-win situation. One of the most suitable trade options would be Chris Paul + Draymond Green + Jonathan Kuminga plus some cash or draft picks in exchange for LeBron James.
Regarding this trade, let's first look at the Warriors and whether they will be reinforcements after the trade.
Jonathan Kuminga, as a super small forward selected by the Warriors with the seventh pick in 2021, has the potential to average 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26.3 minutes per game. Chris Paul, a super veteran, averaged 9.2 points, 4 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. Draymond Green, the absolute hero of the Warriors dynasty, averaging 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6 assists in 27.1 minutes per game, is the core of the team.
Superstars like Kuminga, backup point guards like Paul, and team centers like Green are generally meant to be kept, but unfortunately if they want to get James, the Warriors will have to make a big deal to impress the Lakers, and only packing the three of them together is the right bargaining chip to promote a win-win situation. After all, no matter how strong Kuminga's potential is, but he still has one year left on his rookie contract, even if he is forcibly kept on the team, the salary of a future contract extension will explode, and his position conflicts with Wiggins, and playing time is not too guaranteed. Paul's contract, like Kuminga's, also has only one year left, and it will have to be considered whether he will leave the team. As for Green, he has three years left on his contract, and it is the Warriors' championship contribution, if it is not a last resort, the Warriors should definitely not move him, but James is also a power forward now, and he is also the core of the central axis in the Lakers, which can perfectly replace Green's role, so using the three of them as the main bargaining chip for trading James is the most suitable for the Warriors.
Even if Kuminga's three of them combined for 34 points, 16 rebounds and 15 rebounds, far greater than James' personal stats of 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists, it does not mean that James' arrival is a weakening of the Warriors. Because superstars have a diversionary effect, Kuminga and others can get these data, which seems to be their own credit, but in fact, a large part of it is Curry who helps them contain their opponents. The arrival of James not only completely replaces Green's role, but also highlights the role of another superstar who will make the rest of the team further climb the stats, and maybe the team will help Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson to return to the top. Even without Paul, the Warriors' bench guard line will be slightly weaker, but the growth of Moses Moody and Blandin Podzemski is more than enough to make up for this loss, and overall, trading these three players for James to the Warriors is definitely a reinforcement for the Warriors.
Secondly, let's talk about whether the Lakers have improved their strength after trading James to get Paul and the other three.
First up is Chris Paul, who came to the Lakers and was a huge boost for the Lakers themselves. After all, a traditional guard is very helpful to the center, and the absolute core of the Lakers team now is the super center Anthony Davis. And you must know that the Lakers have always been the weakest point of passing, even with two offensive guards like Dendir Russell and Austin Rivers, their responsibilities are not at all like a point guard, but more like a point guard to score, for the organization, it doesn't work at all.
The Lakers' forward group is also very poor, Prince, Hachimura are unable to attack with the ball, and the arrival of Kuminga will revitalize the Lakers' forward line, which is a visible improvement. As for the power forward, it was also said earlier that Draymond Green is now a weakened version of James, who can replace his role, but cannot give the Lakers a boost. However, Green's mental effect is incomparable to others, especially in the playoffs, and he is no less intimidating to opponents than James. Therefore, with these three players, the Lakers can definitely go far in the playoffs.
Therefore, Paul Green's replacement of James for Jamin, although it seems ridiculous, can make both the Warriors and the Lakers improve, which is not a win-win situation.