LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers responded to the claim by Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that the Golden State Warriors were considering trade for him by saying the following to the NBA on TNT crew, “When I talked to Joe [Lacob] on the phone, and we were discussing what we’d have to give up, I said if it’s Kuminga, the answer is no,” Warriors star Draymond Green stated in reference to his opposition to the idea of trading Jonathan Kuminga for James during an alternate broadcast of the All-Star Game.
This trade idea is one that has been floated around a lot when people have put together hypothetical trade packages that send James to the Warriors, but Green is not on board. Despite Green being close friends with James, he was against the idea of Kuminga being dealt for the Lakers star.
It seems the Warriors wouldn’t have done this trade anyways, but for a young player like Kuminga, it’s always good to have the backing of established veterans like Green. For now, James remains with the Lakers.
Klay Thompson, a great player for the Golden State Warriors, is known for playing with a chip on his shoulder, and this season he might be more focused than ever. The Warriors and Thompson are reportedly at odds over a contract deal, but Thompson sent out a powerful statement on Instagram with Tupac’s “Me Against the World” and the words, “The type an energy I’m on all season.”
Thompson always plays with this mindset, as was previously said, therefore it’s possible that this has nothing to do with the latest rumors regarding his contract. Having said that, the Warriors star has a significant extra incentive to have a successful season because it’s probably his last chance to earn a long-term contract in the NBA.
It still seems plausible that Thompson and the Warriors will extend their collaboration at some point, though it might not happen before the season starts given their shared desire to close a deal. Naturally, this creates a certain amount of uncertainty, but Thompson and the club may not be in the worst situation because they can use this season to figure out what is best for everyone.
Golden State has accomplished the rare feat of keeping a core together this long, and certainly want to have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all retire with the Warriors.
