Shams Charania says the Warriors have a path to landing LeBron James.
LeBron James told the Los Angeles Lakers in late June that he would be playing somewhere else next season, and the guessing game over his next stop has taken over the NBA offseason.
Golden State has been in the mix from the start, hoping the 41-year-old finally gives fans the pairing with Stephen Curry that people have wanted for years.
Speaking on ESPN's Get Up this week, insider Shams Charania explained why the Warriors might be stuck waiting on someone else to make the first move.
"The big domino with them is trying to get a player like an Anthony Davis, you can bring in LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a package deal," Charania said. "Short of that, they're not really looked at right now at the top of this list."
Anthony Davis Is the Missing Piece
That domino is Anthony Davis, and moving him will not be easy.
Davis now plays for the Washington Wizards after being traded twice in less than two years, and he still managed 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds a game over 20 games before a hand injury ended his season early.
Washington has given no signal that it wants to move on from him, which lines up with why Golden State currently sits outside the top of James' list of preferred destinations despite its history alongside him.
How the Warriors Could Make It Work
Even without a Davis trade, signing James comes down to money the Warriors do not really have.
Golden State lacks the room for a max contract, so the plan leans on the mid-level exception, worth around 15 million dollars, especially with Draymond Green's declined option freeing up a bit more space.
One idea floated involves sending Jimmy Butler and future picks to Washington for Davis, though one recent breakdown suggests the front office thinks it can still sell James on the Bay Area even if that particular trade never comes together.
Why Golden State Still Makes Sense
Money aside, the fit still lines up in a lot of ways.
James and Curry already know they can win together after sharing the floor on the 2024 Olympic team, and Steve Kerr coached that same group, so nobody would need time to adjust.
Golden State finished this past season 37-45 and out of the playoffs entirely, but a roster built for one last title run already includes Curry, Green, and Kristaps Porzingis, and it looks different with a healthy Jimmy Butler back in the mix.
James' own averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last season show he still has plenty left to offer a contender, and the Lakers finished 53-29 and reached the second round before he decided he wanted a new setting, which says a lot about how much he still believes in his own game.
Whether any of it comes together still depends on Washington more than anyone in the Bay Area, and the Wizards have not given the Warriors much reason to think that changes soon.
