NBA stars who weren’t highly recruited out of high school

Future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have had rocky seasons filled with ups and downs. In the case of LeBron James, the four-time champ is down 2-0 to the Denver Nuggets after he and the LA Lakers failed to capitalize on their lead in the second game. In the case of Kevin Durant, the generational scoring talent finds himself similarly down 2-0 in the first round.

Of course, in the case of Steph Curry, arguably the greatest point guard of all time, he’s enjoying the summer after a loss in the play-in tournament. With the trio set to pair up in hopes of bringing Team USA a gold medal this summer at the Olympics, Nick Young thinks they should link up in the NBA as well.

In a post on social media, he suggested that LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant form a superteam next year in pursuit of another NBA title. Of course, it’s important to reinforce that while Curry is enjoying the postseason, James and Durant are competing in the playoffs and still have title aspirations.

“Bron KD or Bron and Steph or all three on the same team next yr”

Before we look at the trio’s contract situations heading into the offseason, let’s recap how the regular season played out for the trio and their respective teams.

Looking at how LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant’s teams performed during the 2023-24 regular season

Although the NBA Playoffs are underway, the 2023-24 regular season saw LeBron James and the LA Lakers struggle to find consistency.

While the team looked impressive early on as they made it to the finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament, their struggles saw them end the season with the seventh seed.

In the case of Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, the team was largely hampered by injuries to Bradley Beal that saw the veteran guard play just 53 games. Because of that, the Suns finished the regular season in sixth place after some ebbs and flows.

Last but certainly not least, in the case of Steph Curry, he and the Warriors were unable to find their form for long periods of time. With Klay Thompson struggling to produce at his usual rate their season was largely underwhelming, capped off by a play-in exit that raised questions about the future of the big three.

Looking at the possibility of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant teaming up for the 2024-25 season

LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant seemingly find themselves at the same stage of their career. Although the trio are among the best players in the league, they appear to continue to sit outside title contention.

Steph Curry’s future with the Warriors doesn’t seem to be in question, though. With Klay Thompson set to hit free agency, many wondered if will leave Golden State. This theory is fueled by reports that the Warriors want to get under the next luxury tax apron.

Given that, taking on the contracts of LeBron James and Kevin Durant seems unlikely. Moreover, with the Phoenix Suns carrying Bradley Beal’s $50M+ contract, which has a no-trade clause, for the next 2-3 years, the team is also unlikely to unite the trio.

The LA Lakers, though, could do some clever financial maneuvering in the offseason to acquire the trio. The front office has shown that they’re willing to make big moves, but they would have to trade a number of key players.

Moreover, Golden State and Phoenix would both have to approve trading their biggest stars. Because of that, while it’s fun to dream, it sounds as though a big three of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant is unlikely to happen.