A bombshell dropped on Wednesday with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the Golden State Warriors had approached the Los Angeles Lakers, and LeBron James' management, about a trade for the four-time MVP before last week's deadline.
While a trade was never ultimately close to materializing, the fact the Warriors aggressively pursued the Laker superstar is an ominous warning to rival teams. Although there may be a notion that the franchise was quiet at the deadline, they were very much loud in trying to pull off what would have been one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history.
The Golden State Warriors won't rest while Stephen Curry remains capable of leading a championship-winning team
ESPN's report suggested the Warriors could revisit a move for James in the offseason where the 39-year-old has a $51.4 million player option. If it's not James, expect the Warriors to still go big-name hunting in their hopes of adding another championship.
Their plans will obviously be predicated on the remainder of this season, with Golden State having won eight of their past 10 games to move beyond a .500 record heading to the All-Star break.
Following news of the Warriors' interest in James, The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported that the franchise would explore any possible move to add another superstar next to Stephen Curry while the two-time MVP remains in his prime.
"The Warriors' lead decision-makers still believe Curry's longevity gives them a couple more seasons of possible contention if the roster around him is up to it. If there's a path to LeBron, Giannis Antetekounmpo (their dream scenario), impending free agent Paul George or a reunion with Kevin Durant, they will explore it."Anthony Slater
Although it's easy to suggest that any franchise would explore a trade for the league's top players, few are armed with a player of Curry's stature -- a top 10-15 player of all-time who's already proven himself malleable with other superstars.
If the remainder of the season wasn't already important enough, it may have taken on greater meaning after Golden State's bid for James. The Lakers sit ninth in the Western Conference, Antetekounmpo and the Bucks have lost seven of the past 10, and the Warriors themselves remain 10th despite a good stretch.
The James advancement may have fizzled out to nothing for the moment, but at least Warrior fans can appreciate that the franchise isn't resting on their laurels while their greatest ever player maintains somewhere near his peak.