The Warriors have spent the offseason swinging for the fences, and the biggest swing has been LeBron James. Golden State has been all-in on the idea, even before free agency officially opened, with Stephen Curry and James already having met to talk about the possibility of teaming up.
That chase, though, may be losing steam. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Golden State is not sitting near the front of the line.
“The Warriors] are, to my knowledge, behind other teams such as a Miami, a Cleveland, a Philadelphia,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said.
NBA insider Brett Siegel also described the Warriors’ interest as something that had started to gather real attention, noting that Curry was planning to continue those conversations with James in the lead-up to free agency.
“Pairing him with Stephen Curry is going to be something that the Warriors are going to pursue over the next few weeks… It seemed very doubtful, it seemed low percentage, now it’s kind of questionable. Now there’s going to be some legs to this… That same source told us that Steph is planning on meeting and talking with LeBron about potentially joining the Warriors over the course of the next few weeks leading up to free agency,” NBA insider Brett Siegel said.
If James ends up elsewhere, Golden State already appears to have another name in mind. Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe pointed to DeMar DeRozan as a realistic fallback option, especially with the team needing more scoring after Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL injury.
“The DeRozan idea is seen as a possible alternative if the Warriors miss out on LeBron James, with the franchise clearly needing more offense in the wake of Butler's torn ACL injury that will see him miss a significant part of next season,” O’Keefe wrote.
DeRozan wouldn’t bring the same headline-grabbing buzz as James, but he would give the Warriors another proven offensive weapon. With Butler still working his way back, Golden State could use that kind of help, and DeRozan would slide into a roster that needs scoring punch. He also wouldn’t be expected to land the kind of massive deal he has commanded before, but he could still make a real impact if the Warriors choose to go that route.
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Warriors Rookie Suddenly Feels Like A Bigger Part Of The LeBron Debate
Yaxel Lendeborg spent Summer League looking less like a roster filler and more like a player the Warriors could actually build around, and the rookie capped it by leading Golden State to the championship while taking home tournament MVP honors. At 23, he separated himself from the usual summer showcase crowd and gave the Warriors something they do not often get this time of year: a young player who looked ready to matter right away.
That matters because any conversation about Golden States future now has to include more than the familiar veteran names. If LeBron James ever seriously weighs the Warriors as a landing spot, Lendeborgs emergence could only help the pitch, even if there is no way to know whether it would truly move James one way or the other. For now, the rookie has at least made himself part of the backdrop for one of the leagues biggest what-ifs. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron To Warriors Buzz Just Took A More Serious Turn
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There is still no official word from James, and the betting market is leaning elsewhere for now, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Miami Heat as the favorite. Even so, the Warriors remain part of the conversation, which is what makes this latest round of buzz worth tracking closely as the league waits for the next move. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Have A Backcourt Decision They Can't Ignore
LJ Cryer has done more than just hang around on the margins of Golden States summer plans. The two-way guard turned in a strong run in Las Vegas and kept showing enough playmaking and shooting to make the Warriors think harder about what he might look like on a standard NBA roster, especially with the backcourt looking awfully thin behind Stephen Curry.
Cryers latest statement came in the summer league championship game, where he played through an ankle injury and still helped carry the offense. Golden State also has mutual interest in a reunion with free agent Gary Payton II, which only adds to the squeeze as the front office weighs roster spots, contract conversions and which kind of guard it wants to prioritize heading into the next stage of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]