There’s not a lot of love lost between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James at this current juncture. Recently, the First Take star claimed that James’ camp at Klutch Sports tried to silence him over his criticism of Bronny James, in which he appealed to LeBron as a father. According to Smith, tensions arose when he critiqued LeBron’s parenting of his eldest son. Although that wound hasn’t healed, it hasn’t prevented Smith from voicing his opinions on ESPN’s airwaves.
While his latest rant only indirectly touched on Bronny, it was primarily about what LeBron should discuss with Rich Paul after the Lakers completed a blockbuster deal for Luka Dončić. “I go to Rich Paul and tell him I’ll waive my no-trade clause for one of two teams,” Smith explained. “It’ll either be to join Steph Curry in Golden State or go to New York with the Knicks. The Knicks will be more difficult since they traded away five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges. I love Bridges, but five first-round picks? But that’s what they chose to do.”
He added, “Clearly, the Lakers are in need of assets because they’ve only got one pick left, which is like 2031, for crying out loud. So, if I’m LeBron James, I use that as an option, or I go to Golden State and join Steph Curry, going out with the greatest shooter God ever created.” For Smith, the fit in L.A. feels clunky. “Both LeBron James and Luka Dončić are ball hogs — they need the basketball. They’re not secondary options.”
Smith acknowledged LeBron’s adaptability but stressed the challenges of fitting both styles together. “Luka really holds the ball; neither really moves a lot without it. This concern has been echoed by others like Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon regarding their prospective synergy in L.A. That would not be the case with Steph Curry, though. He moves without the ball and is the greatest shooter ever. Chasing Steph around is a workout in itself.” Smith emphasized the synergy of LeBron, Curry, and Draymond Green, suggesting it would be “absolutely something special.” “If I’m LeBron James, I’d waive my no-trade clause to get to Golden State; that would be my top choice.”
But is it LeBron’s top choice? “Who knows,” Smith remarked. “Everyone says he wants to stay in L.A.; that’s a lifestyle decision, not a basketball one. Because the Lakers aren’t winning a championship as currently constructed, I can tell you that.”
Stephen A. Smith thinks LeBron James should waive his no-trade clause to join the Warriors or Knicks.
“If he’s settled with being in LA, that’s because of a lifestyle decision. It ain’t because of a basketball decision. ‘Cause the Lakers ain’t winning no championship as… pic.twitter.com/7QLOZ5tkTZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 3, 2025
If LeBron is choosing Hollywood over hardware, that’s his decision — but Smith isn’t convinced this is a winning strategy. Interestingly, just last February, Smith was envisioning a scenario where the Knicks could trade for LeBron. A year later, he’s advocating for LeBron to leave L.A. for Golden State.
