The Warriors made a real run at LeBron James, but the ending still came up empty.
Golden State pushed hard in free agency, only to watch James leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead. After that miss, the Warriors stood pat rather than pivoting to other targets, and they’re now headed into the season with an older, banged-up group built around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, with Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Yaxel Lendeborg as the younger pieces.
Owner Joe Lacob addressed the failed pursuit on “The TK Show” and made it clear the Warriors were part of the conversation.
“I don't know how many discussions there were, to be honest, but he was available to go somewhere. We certainly were in that narrative and that discussion,” said Lacob.
He also said landing James would have been a major moment for the league.
“I think if he had chosen to come to us, that would have been great. I think it would have been very entertaining for the world at large, for basketball.
Video snippet: Lacob on LeBron pic.twitter.com/ya4gsyVskb
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) August 13, 2026
Look at the Olympics, with him and Steph and all that stuff. But he chose to go a different route, and I can't tell you why because I don't really know why.”
Steve Kerr, meanwhile, said he never believed Golden State had a real shot to get James, even with James, Curry and Green sharing close ties.
There was also a reported effort to swing a deal for Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards in order to help lure James, but that never materialized.
James ended up signing a two-year deal with the 76ers worth $8 million. The Warriors had also tried to get the future Hall of Famer at the trade deadline in February.
In Other News...
Warriors Rookie Just Added Fuel To Stephen Currys GOAT Case
Stephen Curry is heading into his 18th NBA season with the Warriors still chasing the kind of legacy that only gets heavier with time, and the teams quiet offseason only made the spotlight on him brighter. After missing on LeBron James and making few notable changes, Golden State is leaning again on its core, with Curry still the center of everything as he pushes toward a fifth championship.
One of the newest voices around the team has already jumped in with plenty of belief. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who was drafted No. 11, has been vocal about Currys place among the games greats and his chances of adding another title, and he just backed that up by helping lead the Warriors to an NBA Summer League championship while earning MVP honors. For a franchise that has spent years living with the pressure of Currys rsum, it is another reminder that even the next wave is arriving with more appreciation for what he has already done. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Sent A Strong Message About Brandin Podziemski
Brandin Podziemski already did enough in his second season to make the Warriors take notice, and the organization is acting like it knows it. With one of the younger players on the roster expected to take on a bigger role this season, Golden State has plenty of reasons to lean into Podziemski after he showed up for all 82 games last year and set career highs across points, assists, steals and rebounds.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. made the teams position even clearer by voicing strong support for Podziemski and pointing toward a new extension as a likely next step. For a Warriors group that needs young, reliable pieces to grow alongside its veterans, the message matters almost as much as the production: Podziemski is being treated like part of the plan, even if the final details of that commitment are still waiting to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Not Be Done Betting On Risk To Finish Roster
The Warriors offseason approach has been pretty clear, even if it comes with some obvious danger. Mike Dunleavy Jr. essentially acknowledged that the front office chose talent over availability when shaping the roster, a philosophy that helps explain why Golden State took chances on veterans with injury concerns while trying to raise the teams ceiling.
Those additions have already set the tone for how the Warriors are thinking heading into the season, and they could still be looking for more upside if the market offers it. That is why Ben Simmons has popped up as a name to watch as he tries to work his way back into the league after a limited stretch of recent play, another reminder that Golden State may not be done chasing skill even if the risk is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]