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Rich Paul delivered a firm dismissal of trade speculation involving LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors during the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, shutting down a proposal that would have sent the Los Angeles Lakers star to Golden State.
The discussion began when host Max Kellerman cited recent remarks from Bill Simmons, suggesting that the financial framework could support a blockbuster deal. Kellerman floated a scenario in which James would join the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, with Jimmy Butler III heading to Los Angeles.
“Bill Simmons said a couple of days ago… he said, look the numbers work,” Kellerman said. “LeBron and Steph have always said that they wanted to play together. What about Jimmy Butler for LeBron James?”
Kellerman pressed further, arguing that Butler’s defensive intensity and versatility could address the Lakers’ needs, while James and Curry would complement each other offensively in Golden State. He questioned why such a trade would not be realistic.
Paul declined to engage in the hypothetical and quickly ended the debate.
“Because I don’t like to get into that,” Paul said. “It’s not going to happen. So why are we talking about things that are not going to happen.”
Rich Paul denies blocking past LeBron James–Warriors trade talks
Paul also referenced previous speculation linking James to the Warriors, noting that Green had publicly accused him of blocking a potential deal in the past. Paul rejected that claim and said he never interfered with any such discussions.
“First of all, Draymond wrongfully accused me I believe, wrongfully accused me of stopping something before,” Paul said. “Which I never did anything like that.”
When asked to clarify, Paul said the accusation stemmed from earlier trade talks involving the same teams and players.
James, who recently turned 41, continues to play a central role for Los Angeles. Through 15 games this season, he is averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and one steal per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three-point range. He is logging 32.9 minutes per contest as the Lakers hold a 20-11 record and sit fifth in the Western Conference standings.
Curry, 36, remains the focal point for Golden State. Across 30 games, he is averaging 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc in 31.6 minutes per game. The Warriors enter the weekend with an 18-16 record, placing them eighth in the conference.
For now, Paul characterized the trade chatter as “fantasy basketball,” emphasizing that both stars will remain with their current teams. The Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies (15-18) on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET, while the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder (29-5) at 10:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video.