LeBron James and Stephen Curry is the team-up every NBA fan wanted to see, but the 41-year-old chose to join the Philadelphia 76ers, returning to the Eastern Conference after eight years in LA.
The two iconic players of their generation came close to joining forces, though, with the Golden State Warriors seen as one of the leading contenders to sign James as a free agent when he first announced his intention to enter free agency.
Alas, the two won’t share the court as teammates. It would have been something to see, as would these other potential partnerships of some of the league’s most seasoned stars.
NBA veteran duos that would get fans excited
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry
Curry and Antetokounmpo are polar opposites stylistically — one the greatest shooter the sport has produced, the other a downhill force who gets to the rim better than almost anyone we’ve seen. Sag off Curry in a pick-and-roll and he shoots over the top. Stay attached and Antetokounmpo is already at the basket.
He is still expected to finish his career with the Warriors.
But if that changes, Miami already has a second star to pair with Curry. Antetokounmpo arrived from Milwaukee in a blockbuster trade on July 6th, and the Heat were also among the teams that missed out on James this summer.
Curry’s loyalty to the Warriors is what makes this feel out of reach, but you never know in the NBA.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Again
Irving and Durant shared a locker room in Brooklyn from 2019 to 2023 and somehow played only 74 regular-season games together, undone by injuries, a pandemic-shortened schedule and Irving’s vaccine standoff. He averaged 26.1 points in those games; KD matched him with 28.3.
Durant, now 37, plays for a Houston team that spent last season short on shot creation in the backcourt. Irving is working back from the torn ACL that wiped out his 2025-26 season in Dallas, and he has other ties to Houston — Ime Udoka, who coached both men in Brooklyn, now coaches the Rockets.
Dallas has told teams all offseason that he is not available, but they have their centerpiece in Cooper Flagg. Offloading Irving to a Rockets team desperately needing more shot creation and backcourt depth might make sense as they build around their No.1 pick from last year.
Klay Thompson and Nikola Jokic
Jokic is the best passer in the NBA, finding shooters in gaps most centers — most players — never see.
Thompson, 36 and long removed from his Splash Brothers peak, can still get hot playing off a passer like that;. He shot 38.3% from three last season despite little shot creation around him in Dallas.
Playing with Jokic makes anyone better, but even more so for one of the greatest catch-and-shoot players we have ever seen. And Klay knows how to play in the flow of the offense, which is exactly how the three-time MVP likes it.
Miami remains the team most heavily linked to Thompson, but Denver have a real need he would fill after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. He’s is on an expiring $17.5 million deal that Dallas has been trying to move as it rebuilds around Flagg. The fit makes sense, even if the rumors currently point elsewhere.
READ MORE:
How Warriors Can Save Their Offseason After LeBron James Goes to the 76ers
How the Dallas Mavericks May Have Missed a Golden Opportunity to Sign LeBron James in Free Agency
Philadelphia 76ers’ Rotation for 2026-27 After LeBron James, Jaylen Brown Additions
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