LeBron James expressing desire to play with Steph Curry among factors behind Joe Lacob inquiry: Warriors Insider 

It was reported Wednesday that the Golden State Warriors attempted to land LeBron James and pair him with Steph Curry at the NBA Trade Deadline. However, neither the LA Lakers nor the all-time scoring leader were inclined to agree to such a deal, which would have changed the landscape of the league.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob contacted both Jeanie Buss, Lakers owner, as well as LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, but talks never proceeded. With Golden State still struggling, it looks like Joe Lacob wanted to make a blockbuster move that would bolster the Warriors' roster and help them turn things around.

According to team insider Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the desire of LeBron James to play with Steph Curry was one of the factors that led Joe Lacob to make that move:

"Expect that they are going to look at every avenue he thinks he can find that might bring some improvement, even if it is immediate. In this instance, from what I understand, he did actually call out, and he didn't go very far. But, he checked. Let me take the temperature. Let me just find out if he is available.

"The worst that can happen is 'no, he is not available. Ok, see you.' I think if you are a Warriors fan, Warriors fans have kind of an intersting relationship with LeBron. It's the idea that Steph and LeBron playing together, and he said in the past, 'I would love to play with Steph.'"

LeBron James has a player option for the 2024-25 season, worth $51,4 million, and it is unclear if he will exercise it and stay with the LA Lakers or if he will decline it to become a free agent.

Philadelphia 76ers tried to trade for LeBron James at Trade Deadline

The Golden State Warriors were not the only team that attempted to land LeBron James at the NBA Trade Deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers and president Daryl Morey also expressed interest to trade for the "King", but the Lakers were unwilling to discuss further.

"Dunleavy Jr. was the second team executive call to Pelinka on a possible James trade, sources said. After seeing James' murky social media post of an hour-glass a week before the trade deadline, Daryl Morey called Pelinka to probe on a James trade and was immediately told that James wasn't available. In fact, Pelinka responded by asking Morey if Joel Embiid was available, sources said. And that ended that brief conversation," Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported, via CBS Sports.

The Sixers are trying to play through the absence of reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who is out until at least mid-March with a meniscus injury. The Sixers are fifth in the East with a 32-22 record.

The Lakers (30-26) and Warriors (26-26) hold the final two play-in spots in the West.