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

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

So even when it appears inconceivable, one could possibly be forgiven if pondering 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). But it surely’s additionally the kind of midseason transaction twister that might get thrown out by NBA 2K’s machine logic for being too unrealistic and a set of strikes which are practically inconceivable to work underneath the league’s new, extra restrictive collective bargaining settlement.

However as this weekend in basketball confirmed us, “practically inconceivable” isn’t the identical as truly inconceivable. Within the aftermath of that Lakers heist, it’s exhausting accountable 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 effectively, dreaming huge is strictly what the Warriors are doing as a result of, in keeping with the newest dispatch from NBA insider Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, Golden State is letting themselves fantasize a couple of world the place Durant, James and Curry staff up in The Bay underneath Olympics coach Steve Kerr earlier than Thursday’s NBA commerce deadline:

Sources say probably the most bold concept 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 solution to carry each James and Durant to The Bay?

That might require fairly the masterstroke. And whereas pulling that off at present stands as not possible, each from a salary-matching and asset valuation standpoint, that is the form of big-game looking that has outlined these Warriors. From their unique 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 accumulate each of them.

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

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

It could 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 approach an excessive amount of time earlier than even writing this text looking for a legally workable deal within the commerce machine and was truly in a position to take action, so long as all three groups waited to consummate it till the day of the deadline, as Dennis Schröder isn’t 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 sophisticated to ever get agreed to in actual life.

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

Picture through https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine

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

1. The Warriors would additionally must 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 lower a number of gamers. Nonetheless, in keeping with 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 range of part-time CBA specialists within the feedback will let me know if I missed one thing.
2. LeBron James would additionally must be upset sufficient in regards to the AD commerce to waive his no-trade clause to hitch Golden State, one thing he has indicated up to now 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 goals 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 one of these transfer was legally attainable underneath 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 together 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 received 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 will by Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET when the buzzer sounds on the NBA’s transaction window.