The Golden State Warriors ended the 2025-2026 season with a 37-45 record, good for 10th in the Western Conference. The Warriors made the play-in tournament and were able to win a game before losing to the Phoenix Suns to claim the 8th seed. 

Many question whether or not the Golden State Warriors' championship window has closed, and after bringing back head coach Steve Kerr with a two-year extension, the question now is how Golden State will upgrade its current roster.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Warriors have had an eye on a highly touted veteran for a long time. 

"The Golden State Warriors, who league sources say have maintained a longstanding interest in bringing in James to Northern California, will be severely limited in what they can offer," Stein said in the article. 

While LeBron going to Golden State would be a great fit basketball-wise, it will be a financial challenge for the Warriors. Franchise cornerstone Stephen Curry will be paid over $62 million in 2026-2027, and Jimmy Butler III will be paid over $56 million over the same timeframe. 

This past season with the Lakers, LeBron James was paid over $52 million in a deal that was $101.35 million through two seasons. James turns 42 on December 30th, and with speculations that this could be his last season, there are doubts that teams would be willing to offer a deal like that to the 23-year veteran. 

Golden State could choose to move off certain players to make way for LeBron. Draymond Green, 36, will be paid over $27 million by the Warriors in 2026 if he chooses to accept his player option. Golden State could use Green in a trade package and move off his deal to sign James. 

There is no question that LeBron is on the back end of his career, but the level of production that he's brought at his age draws interest from contending teams around the NBA. In 2025-2026, James averaged just around 20 points a game, 7 assists, and just under 7 rebounds. 

James spent much of this past season being a second or third option for the Lakers, behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, up until the postseason, after both Reaves and Doncic went down with injuries. 

With rumors of Lebron being disgruntled with the Lakers' front office, the move to Northern California is a real possibility.