LeBron James is recruiting Stephen Curry to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Warriors owner Joe Lacob.

For the second straight season, Stephen Curry has missed the playoffs while being on an expiring contract. With Curry being one of the greatest players currently and all-time, players including LeBron James have reportedly been attempting to recruit the two-time MVP. 

This season, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs against a young but mature Phoenix Suns team. With this being James’s first time eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, it makes sense as to why LeBron is eager to recruit other elite talent. However, James’s interest in Stephen Curry has become so evident that Warriors owner Joe Lacob found out about James’s interest. In an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Lacob revealed that he is not concerned about James’s recruitment and that he gives every right to Curry if he wishes to leave the Warriors via free agency. Even though Lacob hopes Curry will stay in Golden State, he will still have a good relationship with Curry regardless if he stays or leaves. 

During the interview, the idea of Curry joining LeBron James in Los Angeles lingered as Lacob had this to say about the matter. 

“He’s done a lot for us, we’ve done a lot for him,” Lacob said. “I would hope that we provide the environment for him that he wants to be at for the rest of his …

“I’m certainly not worried about the guy you mentioned recruiting him. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Stephen Curry and LeBron James were arguably the biggest rivals during the 2010s. Even though they have a great relationship outside of basketball, it’s doubtful that they would ever be teammates. The recruitment of Curry to the Lakers is odd, especially when factoring contracts. Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James are on max contracts, which means that the Lakers have no means in signing Curry unless he is willing to take a significant pay-cut. Before the 2020-21 NBA season, James accepted a massive extension from the Lakers, limiting their chances of signing Curry. The only way the Lakers could pair James with Curry is if they trade Anthony Davis this season for expiring contracts.

The idea of Curry and LeBron on the same team would arguably be the best duo in the NBA. Both players embody the essence of winning as both players dominated the NBA during the 2010s. However, Curry is headed towards the end of his career and will most likely prioritize a pay-day over winning championships. Curry is eligible to sign more than a $200 million extension with the Warriors. Golden State, since 2019 has suffered significant injuries to their roster and, as a result, has not been at 100%. With Klay Thompson projected to come back next season after two devastating injuries, the Warriors will return to dominance sooner than later.