James for Kuminga trade? A team insider says it's somewhat tempting but unrealistic: they want a more mature and stable return.

On August 23rd Beijing time, reporter Fischer revealed that over the past 18 months, the Warriors have repeatedly contacted the Lakers to explore the possibility of acquiring James via trade. Lakers' well-known insider Jovan Buha responded to this on a podcast.

“This isn’t surprising — ever since the 2024 trade deadline (around 18 months ago), there have been rumors linking James and the Warriors. It’s normal for the Warriors to inquire about James; they just want to see if a trade is possible. But from the Lakers’ perspective, unless James explicitly requests a trade and specifically wants to join the Warriors, the Lakers definitely won’t consider it.”

“Kuminga is a solid player, but some reports about him concern me — in trade rumors like this, both sides often leak information to gain leverage, but some statements from Kuminga’s camp (such as him seeing himself as a core player deserving a $30+ million salary like Cunningham) seem a bit absurd. Confidence and arrogance are a fine line, and I feel Kuminga’s side leans more towards ‘arrogance’.”

“In theory,trading James for Kuminga, plus some salary cap flexibility, might seem somewhat appealing in the long run, but considering Kuminga’s contract demands and his expectations for a starting role and ball control — that’s simply unrealistic for the Lakers. If the Lakers trade James, they definitely wanta more mature, stable, and lower-risk returnrather than a player like Kuminga.”

Regarding the rumors of the Warriors repeatedly inquiring about James, Buha believes these leaks might have been orchestrated by the Warriors themselves.“Their moves this summer haven’t gone smoothly; the Kuminga situation dragged on without much progress. Leaking such news serves two purposes: it lets fans think ‘management is active and still trying to contend,’ and it also distracts attention. For James, it shows there are still teams interested, breaking the ‘nobody wants him’ narrative. But for the Warriors, it’s more about ‘showing off.’ So, I think this has little real significance unless James actively requests a trade to the Warriors; otherwise, it’s just talk.”