James and Curry gelled perfectly during the Paris Olympics, and many fans are salivating for a union between the two at the NBA level.

Who says no?

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey outlined a realistic package that the Warriors could send LA for LeBron: Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Andrew Wiggins, Gui Santos, and two first-rounders (2025, 2027).

The Warriors would also be getting Cam Reddish and Bronny James in the proposed deal.

“The framework above gives L.A. at least one movable contract to turn into more assets if this would just be the start of a rebuild. Andrew Wiggins is only making $26.3 million this season.”

“The big get here would obviously be the younger players. There’s reason to be high on both Jonathan Kuminga (his athleticism, defensive range and untapped playmaking potential) and Brandin Podziemski (his feel for the game and playmaking help him perform like a much more experienced player).”

“As for the Warriors, this is a risk. They’re giving up depth, youth and picks for a player near the end of his career, a wing who’s played like an end-of-bench player throughout his career in Cam Reddish and a multi-year project (to put it kindly) in Bronny.”

“But Golden State has a point differential around that of a 64-win team when Curry is on the floor this season. He’s still good enough to be the scoring leader on a title contender. And LeBron unquestionably raises the short-term ceiling higher than any combination of Wiggins, Kuminga, Podziemski and Gui Santos does.”

“Lineups with him, Curry, Buddy Hield and Draymond Green could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone in the West.”

Should the Warriors call up Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and put this offer on the table?

That changed in his fourth career G League game when he exploded for 30 points on an efficient 13-of-23 shooting.

This is much more of what Bronny looked like at Sierra Canyon, which led to him being mocked so high at the end of his high school career. It’s just one game, but he could be turning a corner and tapping back into that potential from two years ago.

BRONNY JAMES STATS: Complete G League game logs | Complete NBA game logs

This is the Bronny James NBA scouts were excited about
Bronny hit just 26.7 percent of his 3s at USC and was 1-of-12 during the NBA preseason. He wasn’t always an unreliable shooter.

Bronny earned a spot on the McDonald’s All-American game in high school, coming one 3-pointer away from tying the record during a 5-of-8 performance. He was a streaky shooter capable of going off for big shooting nights.

That finally happened again on Thursday. Defenders have routinely gone way under screens, daring him to shoot. He made his first two attempts against that defense, gaining confidence and eventually even nailing a bomb a solid foot-and-a-half behind the line.

It wasn’t just the shooting that came back. Bronny has always been a terrific athlete, but he hasn’t gotten a ton of chances to showcase that skill. In high school, he finished second place in the McDonald’s Slam Dunk Contest, and his 40.5-inch vertical was the fourth-highest at the NBA Draft Combine.

MORE: Bronny James impresses at NBA Draft Combine in 3-point shooting, agility drills

The Lakers ran a nice play at the start of the second quarter to get him a dunk attempt, having him fake coming off a pindown screen before cutting to the rim. It worked perfectly.

Bronny had other unscripted plays where he was also able to demonstrate how much of a physical advantage he can have over opponents.

He used a shoulder dip to create space on layups, powering through defenders like former NBA prospect TyTy Washington. And his acrobatic touch reminded everyone of the type of elite athleticism he has.

MORE: The perfect trade for Warriors to land LeBron James

Bronny has always been at his best in transition. Our draft expert Kyle Irving wrote of him in high school that “even when he’s pushing the pace, his court vision seemingly slows the game down as he decides whether to attack the rim or dish to an open teammate running the lane.”

That evaluation was evident on Thursday. Bronny showed great awareness in getting the ball and taking one dribble before throwing it up for a perfect lob.

The biggest skill Bronny had as a high school player was his defense. Givony called him “arguably the best perimeter defender in his high school class.” Irving agreed with that assessment.

“Off the ball, he does a great job of lurking like a safety, using his anticipation to jump passing lanes for steals and deflections or soar in from the help side for blocks,” Irving wrote.

Bronny’s defensive athleticism was on full display in the following play. He flew past a screen to swat a 3-pointer away in the fourth quarter.

That we haven’t seen this version of Bronny for a while shouldn’t be that surprising. Coming back from a potentially life-threatening medical condition was going to take a lot of time. This could be a sign of him finally turning that corner and getting back to the guy who had scouts thinking he was one of the better prospects in his class.

A former candidate for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Clutch Player of the Year, the 35-year-old Butler’s status as a possible trade chip has been theorized in league circles for months, but recent reports shared by Forbes’ Evan Sidery via Twitter/X have indicated that his mind is set on one destination in particular.

“Jimmy Butler is absolutely interested in coming to the Phoenix Suns,” shared Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix talk show host John Gambadoro Thursday evening.

“If he were to be traded from the Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns are very, very high on his list. I would go as far as to say that I believe that this will be his No. 1 choice, is to come play for the Phoenix Suns.”

Along with the latest reports from ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, Gambadoro’s statements come from sources that they claim to be fully vetted and correct.

Even though Butler’s agent Bernie Lee recently came out to dispel any rumors of Butler’s availability for trade, both Charania and now Gambadoro have stood behind their sources and information, reiterating that it is completely reliable.

With Butler’s reported assertion that Phoenix is at the top of his preferred list of trade destinations, the Suns could very well carry momentum toward getting a deal done to acquire Miami’s superstar as rumors continue to run rampant.

In theory, Phoenix could use the leverage and pressure on Miami’s front office created from these developments to hopefully land Butler. In return for their two-way force, Miami could potentially seek a large contract like Bradley Beal, a young prospect like Ryan Dunn or Oso Ighodaro and a combination of first and second-round draft capital.

With the potential acquisition of Butler, a Phoenix team that began the season with a 9-2 record prior to a poorly timed injury to former league MVP Kevin Durant would be provided with one of the best playoff performers of the past decade as they gear up for a deep postseason run.

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey outlined what a Butler deal would look like for the Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., Pelle Larsson, Dario Šarić, Zeke Nnaji, and three first-round pick swaps (2026, 2030, 2031).

“Right now, despite having the clear and almost consensus best player in the world in Nikola Jokić, the Denver Nuggets don’t look like a title contender,” Bailey said.

“That probably has more to do with Jamal Murray not playing like a max player than it does with Michael Porter Jr., but the former isn’t tradable this season (because of when he signed his max extension).”

“So, if the Nuggets are going to go after Jimmy Butler, who could be the biggest name available on the trade market between now and February, it will almost certainly cost them MPJ. And that’s a real cost.”

“At 26, Porter is nine years younger than Butler, and a lack of three-point volume is one of Denver’s current biggest issues. MPJ leads the team in three-point attempts and is shooting 38.8 percent from deep. Butler isn’t replacing that.”

“In a vacuum, though, even at his age, Butler is the better player. In fact, he might be the best player Jokić has ever played with (with the possible exception of the postseason version of Murray).”

“Butler’s cutting, slashing and playmaking ability would make him a good fit alongside the three-time MVP. He’d up the team’s defensive potential, too.”

“For the Heat, this seems like a deal that some other suitor would be able to beat. Most of Denver’s trade capital has already been spent. But Butler’s age could suppress his market a bit. And Miami might determine that three first-round pick swaps are more valuable than a single first-rounder from someone else.”

“This also gets Miami out of Butler’s upcoming contract negotiations without necessarily conceding a playoff appearance.”

“In the wake of a deal like this, the Heat could use Bam Adebayo as even more of a playmaking hub while surrounding him with the outside shooting of Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and MPJ.”

Should Miami seriously consider a deal like this from the Nuggets, or should they focus on other suitors amid the Butler sale?

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey envisioned the Thunder going after Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans. Bailey’s proposed deal would send Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Ousmane Dieng, and a first-rounder to New Orleans for Ingram.

“Like LaVine, Brandon Ingram has been all over trade rumors, fake-trade articles and other reports for at least a year,” Bailey said.

“And after injuries helped push the New Orleans Pelicans to last place in the West, they should be even more motivated to turn those rumors into an actual deal.”

“At one point, it almost felt inevitable New Orleans would flip Ingram for a center, but rookie Yves Missi has been better than expected. And after this first quarter of the season, the Pelicans probably shouldn’t be looking at win-now trades anymore.”

“Even with CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III all recently filtering back into the rotation, it will be nearly impossible to make up enough ground to even be in the Play-In Tournament.”

“Instead, New Orleans should be angling for more forward-looking deals.”

“This one gives the Pelicans a first-round pick, something teams are going to be hesitant to give up for a player on an expiring contract who’s looking for a raise this coming summer. It also gives them an intriguing 21-year-old wing who hasn’t been able to crack the Oklahoma City Thunder’s crowded rotation.”

“Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins aren’t just salary filler, either. Assuming Zion Williamson comes back this season, both would fit in well around him and alongside other versatile wing and forward defenders like Jones and Murphy.”

“For the Thunder, this deal simply might not be necessary. They’re already playing like a championship contender, and Dort’s perimeter defense is a big part of that.”

“But making Ingram, a former All-Star who’s averaging 22.2 points, 5.2 assists and 2.4 threes, their super sixth man might make them the favorite, even in a league with the Boston Celtics.”

“This deal would likely force OKC to move Alex Caruso into Dort’s starting spot. That defense is important for the first five. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams would obviously take the other two guard and/or wing spots. And whenever Chet Holmgren is ready to return, he and Isaiah Hartenstein can play together on the front line.”

“That would leave Ingram to absolutely dominate second units as a scorer-for-hire for a few months (that would hopefully end with a championship).”

“If it went swimmingly, OKC could try to re-sign Ingram for less than the max. If he wanted out, the Thunder are in a better position than most to let him walk. They would still be a contender in 2025-26.”

Should the Thunder get on the phone with New Orleans and get an Ingram deal in motion? Keep in mind that Ingram is on an expiring contract.

On Wednesday, Athlon Sports’ Sean Deveney crafted a compelling trade proposal that would send LeBron and Bronny James to the Heat for Jimmy Butler and Alec Burks.

James, averaging 23.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds with the Lakers this season, spent four seasons in Miami in the early 2010s after dramatically departing from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2008 scoring champion won two championships alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, solidifying himself as a winning superstar in the NBA.

The idea of James returning to his second NBA home is intriguing, considering the 20-time All-Star is familiar with the Heat’s culture and head coach Erik Spoelstra’s determination to maximize each player’s potential.

Likewise, It would be interesting to see how Butler would manage under JJ Redick in Los Angeles.

However, based on a recent statement by a Western Conference executive, the chances of witnessing a James and Butler swap this season are likely below 50%.

“The only way to get (Jimmy) Butler to the Lakers is to trade about half the Lakers roster, and they don’t have the stomach for that,” the executive said.

“Either side. But if the Lakers really want to trade LeBron, if that is something they want to do, Miami would be one of the spots they’d have to consider. I think the Lakers would want something more than just Jimmy but it’s hard to make that work.”

Don’t expect the Lakers and Heat to complete a mind-blowing deal this season.