The Warriors getting LeBron James and Kevin Durant is the most unhinged rumor of the NBA trade deadline

The final time Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry teamed up within the NBA, the consequence was three NBA Finals appearances and two titles in three years. After which, just a few years after separating, they obtained collectively as a part of the USA Basketball Avengers with LeBron James to steer the USA to a gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics final summer season.

So even when it appears inconceivable, one may very well be forgiven if considering an NBA staff that includes these three may nonetheless be fairly good for an NBA Expendables-style, one-last-job-type title run, even when all of them are going a bit grey within the beard (in LeBron’s case, actually). However it’s additionally the kind of midseason transaction twister that will get thrown out by NBA 2K’s machine logic for being too unrealistic and a set of strikes which might be almost inconceivable to work below the league’s new, extra restrictive collective bargaining settlement.

However as this weekend in basketball confirmed us, “almost inconceivable” isn’t the identical as truly inconceivable. Within the aftermath of that Lakers heist, it’s laborious guilty the Golden State Warriors for dreaming huge. In any case, if Luka Doncic can get traded to the Lakers seemingly out of nowhere, nothing is off the desk.

And properly, dreaming huge is strictly what the Warriors are doing as a result of, based on the most recent dispatch from NBA insider Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, Golden State is letting themselves fantasize a few world the place Durant, James and Curry staff up in The Bay below Olympics coach Steve Kerr earlier than Thursday’s NBA commerce deadline:

Sources say probably the most bold thought being tossed round amongst Golden State’s decision-makers: Is there any possible pathway for the Warriors to drag off the dreamiest of outcomes and discover a method to carry each James and Durant to The Bay?

That might require fairly the masterstroke. And whereas pulling that off presently stands as not possible, each from a salary-matching and asset valuation standpoint, that is the form of big-game searching that has outlined these Warriors. From their authentic Durant free company thunderbolt in 2016 … to final commerce deadline’s inquiries about James … to this previous offseason’s aggressive pursuits of each Paul George and Lauri Markkanen and, at instances, making an attempt to amass each of them.

That’s clearly big, form of insane, and results in one huge query.

Might the Warriors truly commerce for each LeBron James and Kevin Durant?

It will be tough, however the reply is — form of shockingly given the hellish restrictions of the brand new CBA and all three staff’s cap conditions — truly sure.

I spent method an excessive amount of time earlier than even writing this text looking for a legally workable deal within the commerce machine and was truly ready to take action, so long as all three groups waited to consummate it till the day of the deadline, as Dennis Schröder shouldn’t be eligible to be re-aggregated in a commerce till then. There are different caveats, however legally, these groups may theoretically make the commerce under, even when it’s in all probability too deranged and complex to ever get agreed to in actual life.

Might I current to you, expensive readers, probably the most unhinged commerce machine screenshot I’ve ever included in an article:

Picture by way of https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine

Now, it’s vital to notice a pair issues right here…

1. The Warriors would additionally need to signal a number of gamers off the road to fill out the legally required 14 gamers for his or her roster, and each the Lakers and Suns must reduce a number of gamers. Nevertheless, based on my (communications-degree-level) cap math, all of them ought to have sufficient room to take action, however I’m certain SB Nation’s big selection of part-time CBA specialists within the feedback will let me know if I missed one thing.
2. LeBron James would additionally need to be upset sufficient concerning the AD commerce to waive his no-trade clause to affix Golden State, one thing he has indicated to date that he’s not going to do, which if true, will nonetheless solely go down as solely his second-most ruthless rejection of Warriors followers’ title desires ever.
3. There would additionally clearly be draft picks being despatched out right here by the Warriors, however I didn’t even need to get into the logic of that and simply needed to see if this sort of transfer was legally doable below the CBA.

… HOWEVER, in a world the place all three groups can conform to a deal this sophisticated, get the decide exchanges to a suitable stage for all events and LeBron agrees to take the James & Son present to San Francisco for one final trip along with his former Finals foes, then, hypothetically, perhaps, the Warriors rumored dream may turn into our ridiculous actuality.

It’s in all probability not going to occur, however hey, as this weekend confirmed when the Lakers obtained Luka Doncic for fewer first-round picks than the Spurs used to commerce for De’Aaron Fox, it by no means hurts for an NBA glamour franchise to dream huge. And if the Warriors pull off one thing this loopy to go from a play-in staff to potential title contender, perhaps they actually can say they’re gentle years forward of the remainder of the league. We’ll discover out if they’ll by Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET when the buzzer sounds on the NBA’s transaction window.