Warriors reportedly tried to unite LeBron James and Stephen Curry at NBA trade deadline

The Golden State Warriors made an extraordinary effort to unite two of the greatest rivals in NBA history – LeBron James and Stephen Curry – at last week’s NBA trade deadline. according to ESPN.

Speculation swirled about the 39-year-old’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers after he posted an image of an hourglass on social media ahead of the trade deadline. The Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs last season and are ninth in the Western Conference this season, one spot above the Warriors, who are riding a five-game winning streak.

According to ESPN, Warriors forward Draymond Green, who shares an agent with James, encouraged the team to contact the Lakers about a potential trade. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said the team did not want to trade its biggest star but was open to a deal if James was committed to leaving. However, after contacting James’ agent, Rich Paul, the message came back that he wanted to remain a Laker and had no desire to join the Warriors.

ESPN said James also plans to return to the Lakers next season, but there could be renewed interest from the Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers, who are also believed to have made inquiries about the future Hall of Famer around the trade deadline Famer.

James and the Warriors met in four consecutive NBA Finals, starting in the 2014-15 season when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Golden State winning three of the games. However, the Cavaliers’ victory in the 2016 NBA Finals remains the defining moment of James’ career as he led his team back from a 3-1 deficit to capture their first-ever title. Those Finals also helped define his rivalry with Curry, as the two produced countless brilliant performances for their teams.

Although James is almost 40 and no longer at his peak, he is still an effective player. He was named an NBA All-Star for the twentieth time this season and is averaging 24.8 points per game.