LeBron James says trade talks between Warriors and Lakers haven't gone far – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

Following the NBA trade deadline on February 8, the Warriors caused a stir after a report surfaced saying they had tried to acquire Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Along with TNT's “Inside the NBA” panel with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal ahead of the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, James discussed the hot rumors.

“It didn't go away at all,” James told Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O'Neill. “You actually heard about it when everyone else heard about it. Charles was in the league, Kenny was in the league, Shaq was in the league, and sometimes, there are conversations that happen behind closed doors that you don't even know about, I guess, if they're real or not.” Then they will bring it to you.

“But it never got to me, so I heard it when the reports dropped, too.”

James admitted that he had heard this rumor, but did not fully confirm its authenticity. His answer comes just days after Golden State guard Steph Curry offered his take on the James-to-Warriors rumor train.

“It's always a surprise when things like that come out,” Curry told reporters on Wednesday. “Because I suppose every team is making calls that if every fan base or media group knows about this, it will normalize the conversations that happen in the front office, especially around the trade deadline when you're scouting the league about who's available and who's not.

“Obviously someone like Bronn, you might call him just to see. I don't know the depth of the conversations, but it was a nice little surprise this morning for sure.”

Understandably, the idea of ​​James being a good fit for the Chase Center crowd in San Francisco is a bit of a stretch.

Given the rivalry between James and the Warriors has dominated the NBA playoffs and other prime-time slots for a decade, it's fair to assume the trade doesn't have any legs under it.

However, Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who spoke to Tim Kawakami on the “TK Show” last Wednesday, didn't hesitate to explain how Golden State always keeps its eyes open for upgrades — by any means.

“Regarding the reports, I won’t say anything about any specific player or anything,” Lacob told Kawakami. “I'll just tell you, you know, we're aggressive and we look at things all the time.

“When we acquired Kevin Durant many years ago, that was an incredibly aggressive move we made. I think half our roster went away to make it happen.” [the deal]. Even though we had a really good team, we felt like we could be better, and we are [got better]. I say Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] And Kirk [Lacob] “Nothing is off the table, nothing.”

While Curry and James aren't entirely convinced by these rumors, one thing is for sure: Lacob isn't afraid to unleash his shot if it means Golden State can improve.

Download and follow Dubs Talk Podcast