LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant all failed to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2005 this season, and Nick Young believes the trio should form a team. During an appearance on Vlad TV, Young urged that the three all-time greats meet together for one more time.
“I think all three of them need to come together,” Young stated. “… I don’t see Curry leaving the Warriors, so it might be in Oakland or the Bay. This year, they play for the USA Team together.Last hurrah.
(Begins at 2:46 mark):
With James and Durant exiting in the first round of the playoffs and Curry failing to even make it in, many fans want to see them on the same NBA team before they retire. Neither of the three appear to be in a position to genuinely contend for a championship right now, but I wouldn’t bet against them winning it all if they teamed up.
I don’t see it happening, though. The Golden State Warriors would undoubtedly be the best fit for all of them, and I don’t see how they could possibly land both James and Durant.
LeBron has a player option for $51.4 million for 2024-25 and may become a free agency this summer, but the Warriors do not have the cap space to offer him a large contract. The 39-year-old has also demonstrated in the last ten years or so that he is unwilling to accept a pay cut, so that option is also closed.
If LeBron opts out, the Warriors would only be able to land him through a sign-and-trade, which would leave them without the assets to sign Durant. The 35-year-old averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24 and is unlikely to be available cheaply.
I believe Golden State could land one of these two if they decide to go all in, but not both. While this is unfortunate, we will at least get to witness them play together for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nick Young on how much longer LeBron James can play in the NBA.
While LeBron continues to play at a high level for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24, averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, the end of his career is not far off. During the conversation, Young was asked how long he could continue to play in the NBA. (Starts at 3:55 in the aforementioned video)
“In this day and age of basketball, probably three years,” Young stated. “I could see for longer, but if he wants to play.” It is up to LeBron. I believe he plays until his son plays. Probably the second option. “Until Bryce (James) comes along.”
The earliest Bryce James may enter the NBA is in 2026, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic for LeBron to play in that 2026-27 season, since there is still enough of gas in the tank. According to reports, LeBron James wants to play in the NBA for another two seasons.
Leave a Reply