The Ringer’s Bill Simmons was in his NBA trade machine bag on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. Simmons proposed an idea that would send LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jimmy Butler.
“How do you make the league more fun?” Simmons said. “You have a team that nobody’s excited about with the Lakers and a team that feels dead with the Warriors. LeBron for Jimmy Butler.”
“It feels like a ‘for the good of the sport’ trade,” Simmons continued. “It’s just more fun. The Warriors are not fun. I don’t see a scenario where they become fun, but now you put LeBron on the team with Curry … LeBron reinvigorated, and who knows? And then Butler is probably a better fit with Luka and Reeves anyway.”
“I think Golden State would probably do that … ‘cause LeBron is an expiring contract. … LeBron doesn’t really seem like he wants to be on the Lakers.”
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James turns 41 years old on December 30. Curry will be 38 in March.
Nonetheless, LeBron and Steph are still playing at a high level, combining for 49.4 points per game this season on their respective teams.
James and Curry are the two greatest players from the most recent NBA era, which is ongoing but soon coming to an end. In fact, we are already seeing a passing of the torch of sorts to guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Anthony Edwards.
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Players like Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum are also part of this new era, albeit of an age in between the above three stars and the older guard, which also includes Kevin Durant.
Anyway, Simmons is right with this one. LeBron on the Warriors would make the NBA way more exciting. Steph deserves to be on a winning team, which Golden State currently is not.
Featured image via Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images
