Many around the NBA are expecting the Golden State Warriors to make a concerted push toward luring LeBron James in free agency. As of Monday afternoon, the team is now one critical step closer.
Per ESPN’s Shane Charania, Warriors forward Draymond Green has declined his $27.7 million option, increasing the funds Golden State will have to offer in its pursuit of James, which will first require landing another superstar player in the meanwhile.
In order to do so, a trade would have to be made and it’s likely to be one including guard Jimmy Butler. For more on the potential of Butler being moved and his comments on the developing situation, Warriors Roundtable writer Grant Mona has a look.
If Golden State wants to court James, it’ll need to outfit its roster with players the superstar would want to give it another go with. Hence the potential trading of Butler likely to send him to the nation’s capital in exchange for Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis.
While landing Davis hasn’t done much for the last couple of teams to roll him out on the court, if the acquisition comes with a chance to bring James to the Bay Area, the move would be absolutely worthwhile.
Though the path to getting this dominant move done is a bit trickier now that center Kristaps Porzingis has agreed to a two-year contract extension, the Warriors aren’t fully out of the running for Davis and James just yet.
Where James ends up for the 2026-27 season will continue to be NBA free agency’s most fascinating storyline, and Golden State would like to position itself as one of the top options in the sweepstakes.
