The Golden State Warriors didn’t land Giannis Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline, but don’t expect their pursuit of another superstar to fade quietly into the offseason. In fact, the name now resurfacing in connection with Golden State is one that’s been linked before - and it’s as big as it gets: LeBron James.
Yes, that LeBron James.
The Warriors have long been intrigued by the idea of pairing James with Stephen Curry, and that curiosity only intensified after the two shared the court for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The chemistry was there, the mutual respect obvious - and the basketball world took notice.
Now, with James' future in Los Angeles increasingly uncertain, the Warriors are once again being mentioned as a potential landing spot for the four-time MVP. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and floated Golden State as a team to watch if James decides to leave the Lakers in free agency. Cleveland, his hometown team, was also mentioned, while Windhorst hinted at a couple of other unnamed franchises he's keeping tabs on.
The speculation around James’ next move is tied to a broader shift in L.A. The Lakers, once built around LeBron’s timeline, now appear to be pivoting toward a future centered on Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić.
That shift has fueled talk that James could look for one final chapter elsewhere - a last shot at ring No. 5.
Cleveland would be a poetic choice. It’s where it all began, and where he delivered the city’s first NBA title in 2016 - ironically, against the Warriors.
But Golden State offers a different kind of allure. A chance to play alongside Curry, in a system that’s long been the envy of the league, with a franchise that’s made no secret of its admiration for LeBron over the years.
Make no mistake: James may not be the same physical force he was in his prime, but he’s still producing at an elite level. Through 36 games this season, he’s averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting over 50% from the field. Those are numbers most players would kill for - and they speak to how much he still has left in the tank.
Of course, a move to Golden State wouldn’t come without challenges. The Warriors would need James to take a significant pay cut to make the numbers work under the salary cap. But that’s not unique to them - any team looking to pry LeBron away from Los Angeles would likely face the same financial hurdle.
Still, the idea of LeBron James in a Warriors jersey - sharing the floor with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green - is the kind of basketball dream that could reshape the league’s balance of power. Whether it happens or not, the fact that it’s even being discussed tells you everything you need to know about where Golden State’s mindset is: still swinging big, still chasing greatness, and still very much in the mix when it comes to the NBA’s biggest names.