The Warriors have built their offseason around one big idea, and it still hasn’t paid off: leave room for LeBron James and hope the wait ends with him in Golden State.
That strategy has already shaped everything else around the roster. The Warriors have quietly re-signed Kristaps Porzingis to a two-year extension, brought back Al Horford, and locked up De'Anthony Melton over the offseason.
But the bigger swings they wanted never came through. Rui Hachimura signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Anfernee Simons wound up in Philly after Golden State chose not to meet the price.
That’s the reality Anthony Slater laid out as the market keeps thinning around the Warriors.
"Warriors coach Steve Kerr has openly talked about the need to lower expectations and acknowledged they weren't a championship-level team last season," Slater wrote. "They will still add a couple of newcomers in free agency, though the available names are dwindling. They didn't reach the necessary price on a contract for Rui Hachimura and prioritized De'Anthony Melton over Anfernee Simons."
The hold-up is LeBron, and the hold-up is entirely on his terms. Since saying goodbye to the Lakers, his free agency has been controlled by Rich Paul, who has handled the calls, shut out the noise, and kept James’ plans under wraps while the rest of the league waits and guesses.
Golden State has been one of the teams left in limbo. The front office has kept its cap space and draft picks untouched for this exact scenario, betting that a short-term, low-risk deal could be enough to bring in a 41-year-old superstar.
But that bet has come with a cost. Mike Dunleavy has passed on adding real depth, leaving the Warriors to move forward with a roster that went 37-45 last season and hasn’t gotten any stronger in the meantime.
And the longer this drags on, the tougher it gets. The available free agents are disappearing, Stephen Curry’s supporting cast is another year older, and there’s no sign LeBron is going to speed up his timeline just because Golden State is waiting.
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Lakers Linked To Rare Wing Target They Almost Never Can Land
The trade market has a way of turning familiar names into luxury items, and this latest wing target fits that mold for the Warriors. He is the kind of role player who checks a lot of boxes at once, with shooting, defense and enough athletic pop to matter on both ends, which is exactly why teams like Golden State keep ending up in the conversation whenever a rare two-way wing becomes available.
What makes the situation worth watching is that the fit is obvious even before any real deal gets reported. The price tag is substantial, but so is the appeal for a Warriors roster that can always use more size and versatility on the perimeter, and that is why this is the sort of player who tends to linger in rumor season without actually becoming easy to acquire. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers May Be Backing Off Kuminga For A Stunning Veteran Pivot
The Lakers offseason has already taken a sharp turn with LeBron James telling the team he will continue his career elsewhere, opening the door for a roster build that now appears centered on Luka Doncic. Los Angeles has moved quickly, trading for Walker Kessler and adding several free agents, while also keeping Jonathan Kuminga in the mix as a young wing target who could fit the next phase of the plan.
Kuminga remains the name to watch, but the Lakers are clearly keeping their options open as they sort through the market. If that pursuit stalls, the front office may have to pivot again, and the possibility of adding a proven veteran wing would give the team a very different kind of answer on the perimeter as it tries to round out the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Got Pushed Toward A Risky Anthony Davis Decision
The Anthony Davis chatter has already put Golden State in a familiar spot: weighing a big-name swing against the kind of price tag that can reshape a roster for years. ESPNs Shams Charania reported that Washington is driving a hard bargain in any potential Davis deal, and the Warriors are left sorting through whether a move that dramatic is even worth the cost, especially with no agreement anywhere close to being done.
If that path gets too steep, the Warriors have other ways to chase a major upgrade, with Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III emerging as one of the more intriguing alternatives. The challenge there is hardly small either, since any serious pursuit would still force Golden State to navigate tricky salary-matching decisions and a hefty draft-pick outlay, which is why this is looking less like a simple trade chase and more like a test of how far the front office is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]