Amid LeBron James’ uncertain future with the Los Angeles Lakers, a mock trade went viral that would send the star forward to the Golden State Warriors to team up with his longtime friend, Stephen Curry.
While many around the NBA world are seriously entertaining the prospect of the four-time MVP making a late-career move to the Bay Area, his agent, Rich Paul, isn’t giving it a second thought.
Rich Paul Shuts Down Idea of LeBron James Being Traded to Warriors To Join Forces With Stephen Curry
The idea of a James-for-Jimmy Butler III blockbuster deal was pioneered by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons earlier this week, who theorized that such a swap could “make the league more fun.”
The self-described “Picasso of the Trade Machine” cited both teams’ waning championship hopes due to defensive and age-related concerns, making the case that it could be a win-win move.
“You have a team that nobody’s excited about with the Lakers and a team that feels dead with the Warriors,” Simmons said. “… It feels like a for-the-good-of-the-sport trade. 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 [Dončić] and [Austin] Reaves.”
Bill Simmons proposes wild LeBron James-for-Jimmy Butler III mock trade.
Via: @ringer pic.twitter.com/TRgvs9XWvx— StatHunter (@stat_hunter) January 2, 2026
On Wednesday’s episode of “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul,” Paul reluctantly weighed in on the proposal. The Klutch Sports Group founder strongly pushed back, dubbing it “fantasy basketball,” prompting his co-host Max Kellerman to come to Simmons’ defense.
According to Kellerman, it “makes basketball sense” to have “two point forwards” in James and Draymond Green “play on the same team with a point guard who is off-ball a lot” in Curry.
Still, Paul doesn’t view James getting dealt to Golden State as a legitimate possibility.
“I don’t like to get into that. It’s not going to happen,” Paul insisted. “So, why are we talking about things that are not going to happen?”
When pressured to answer whether the hypothetical trade “would make basketball sense,” Paul begrudgingly concurred, highlighting James and Butler’s adaptability to any situation.
“I believe anytime you’re placing LeBron James on any team, it makes basketball sense,” Paul reasoned. “… I think Jimmy Butler plays basketball the right way, to where Jimmy Butler fits on any team. Right now, I like him on the Golden State Warriors.”
Rich Paul pushes back on the possibility of LeBron James joining the Warriors to team up with Stephen Curry this season. pic.twitter.com/LEPH8PGW3E
— StatHunter (@stat_hunter) January 2, 2026
Afterward, Paul reiterated that he is “not starting [his] 2026 off in a fantasy world,” closing the door on fans’ hopes of seeing two of the NBA’s biggest stars join forces anytime soon.