The Oxford Dictionary of the English language defines the word "possible" this way: "A person or thing that has the potential to become or do something."
With that in mind, it is possible for the Golden State Warriors to trade for both Kevin Durant and LeBron James by this Thursday's Trade Deadline.
That seems like a nonsensical statement, but the NBA is currently living in a new era where the impossible becomes possible, and the unlikely is tweeted onto our phones by Shams Charania. After the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic with no warning on Saturday night, anything could happen.
That's essentially what Jake Fischer at Stein Line is reporting on Monday: that the Warriors believe anything is possible. They certainly have a long track record of making the unlikely happen, from turning a skinny baby-faced injury-prone No. 7 pick into a Top-12 player of all time, to winning four championships, to adding an MVP to an already great team. If the Warriors want to dream big, they certainly have reason to expect those dreams to come true sometimes.
Right now those dreams seem impossibly big, as Fischer reports the Warriors are calling not only about LeBron James, a player they had a dalliance with at last year's Trade Deadline, but Kevin Durant. And while they are certainly interested in a trade for either, their top goal is to find a way to add both former MVPs.
It would be a reunion of the three best players of the last generation, who came together to lead Team USA to a gold medal at last year's Summer Olympics in Paris, France. And as the league trembles in awe of the French superstar about to take over -- fresh off adding an All-Star running mate of his own in De'Aaron Fox on Sunday -- the old dogs might come together in Golden State for one last run.
As the Warriors toss around the idea of trading for both Durant and James, the question has to be asked: is it even legal? Could the Warriors pull off such a deal while staying inside the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement?
The answer is yes....barely.
Building a trade for LeBron and Durant
If you pull up a list of the largest cap hits in the NBA this season, you start the list with Stephen Curry. At No. 4 you come to Kevin Durant. At No. 14 you reach LeBron James, who took a slight discount this season to give the Lakers flexibility to build out their team.
Kevin Durant makes $51.1 million this season; LeBron James makes $48.7 million. That is essentially $100 million that the Warriors would need to match in outgoing salary to pull off such a deal -- a task made even more difficult by the fact that they are hard-capped at the first luxury tax apron and are already perilously close to the line. The Warriors truly do need to find $100 million to send back.
The Lakers and Suns are both teams that want to continue winning in the present, however, so it doesn't benefit them to get back contract flotsam. Enter the Miami Heat, who would love to trade Jimmy Butler -- and Phoenix represents a landing spot that desperately wants Butler.
Yet Miami doesn't want long-term salary either, and with Phoenix above the second luxury tax apron and both the Lakers and Heat close to salary lines they cannot cross, another team or two needs to join the equation to take back some salary and turn long-term money into expiring contracts.
If the Warriors could somehow line all of those pieces up, and find a way with their draft capital to compensate everyone involved, here are the basics of what a trade could look like:
Warriors Receive: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, multiple minimum salaries players (such as Cam Reddish, Christian Wood, Alec Burks, etc)
Lakers Receive: Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, Davion Mitchell, first-round pick
Suns Receive: Jimmy Butler, Trayce Jackson-Davis, two first-round picks
Heat Receive: Bruce Brown, Dennis Schroder, Kevon Looney, first-round swap
Raptors Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Buddy Hield, two second-round picks
Pistons Receive: Kyle Anderson, first-round swap
That's the closest we can get to bringing everything together. Multiple teams probably step away because they are not properly compensated. But is it possible? Yes, Oxford Dictionary, it is technically possible.
Warriors rotation with LeBron and Durant
When the dust settles on this trade, the Warriors are very nearly stripped clean. They will need to get back a few minimum contracts in the deal and then sign players immediately. A few players are likely to work out buyouts to join this last dance of the old lions, however, so it's possible they get a few names on board.
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Quentin Post
Rotation: Brandin Podziemski, Lindy Waters III, Gui Santos, Alec Burks, Cam Reddish, Christian Wood
Would Kevin Love make his way clear and sign with the Warriors? What about current free agents like JaVale McGee, Isaiah Thomas or Justin Holiday? Would they roll the dice on Patrick Beverley?
It would be a monumental task for the Warriors to trade away their entire roster for two palyers, then rebuild the rotation with minimums. It would almost certainly end in disaster. There is no chance everyone plays ball enough to make this happen.
But it's possible, and this is how it could happen. Did you want something that would top the Luka Doncic trade? This deal might just be it.