Bill Simmons decided to give one last shakeup in 2025 with a fantasy trade that’s hard to imagine. As a cynic about the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances, he recommends that LeBron James quit on them and go to the Bay. The veteran analyst suggested a radical trade swap. And no, it doesn’t include giving the Purple and Gold Draymond Green either. As James’ agent, Rich Paul had some thoughts about Simmons’ suggestion.

“I believe anytime you’re placing LeBron James on any team, it makes basketball sense,” Paul said of his client on the Game Over podcast.

On the Golden State Warriors side, he reps Green, but he’s got no connection with Jimmy Butler. Yet when Simmons suggested exchanging James for Butler, Paul could see why it made sense.

“I think Jimmy Butler plays basketball the right way, to where Jimmy Butler fits on any team right now,” the super agent said. “I like him on the Golden State Warriors.”

“But particularly well on a team that needs defensive help on the perimeter,” co-host Max Kellerman immediately interjected.

Paul, however, made it clear that he didn’t want to start 2026 in a “fantasy world.”

In contrast, it sounds great to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the same team again. And it also makes sense that Jimmy Butler‘s defensive prowess and high-scoring ability are exactly what Luka Doncic and the Lakers need.

But as Paul said, it’s a fantasy. It’s as radical as Luka Doncic’s abrupt LA trade with zero buildup. Something that could happen only when you least expect it.

The LeBron James – Jimmy Butler trade possibility is very slim

Jimmy Butler’s friction with the Miami Heat and the trade speculation parallel to it didn’t make his trade to the Warriors that shocking right after the Doncic trade. Seeing LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the same NBA team is not a one-time-only All-Star thing; it’s a ubiquitous fantasy for the average NBA fan. And sending the Chosen One to the Bay won’t sound earth-shattering if that dream comes true.

But the roadblock is the front offices. The Lakers are not exactly shopping for blockbuster talent in the short term. Mike Dunleavy explicitly stated that the Warriors have no trade interest and want to improve within the team. They won’t even look at Giannis Antetokounmpo if it means giving up Green or Butler.

Paul also said that if there is one team that would refuse this possible trade, it’s the Warriors. Butler has been a blessing to the team since he arrived from Miami. Moreover, he’s five years younger than James, who just turned 41. His NBA career window is far more open. No way the Dubs are giving that away…

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Interestingly, though, Butler’s two-year contract lines up with the long-term planning Rob Pelinka has in mind. The Lakers GM wants flexibility heading into 2027, when big names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic could be on the market.

Funnily enough, Paul refused to give away whether James would be interested at all. The Lakers veteran has had retirement rumors circling him for about half a decade now. Is he bothered by them? We think not.

A LeBron James – Jimmy Butler swap is safely in the fantasy realm for now. But after the Doncic trade, we know better than to get comfortable in that.