LeBron James’ free agency is still a moving target, but the latest read on the situation gives the Golden State Warriors a reason to keep believing.
After spending much of the past week on the wrong side of the momentum, Golden State got a more encouraging update Saturday from NBA insider Jake Fischer during summer league. Fischer said the Warriors remain firmly in the hunt for James, even with chatter building around a possible return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third stint.
“I do think the Warriors are still as involved as any team. I want to say that too. As much as the reunion with Cleveland and Miami would be storybook, this new all star team, traveling team USA kind of circus, high entertainment value thing that would exist is GS, is something that is still very much on the table,” Fischer said Saturday on a Bleacher Report live stream.
That’s the kind of report Golden State has been waiting for after a stretch of pessimism around its chances. It also keeps alive the possibility of James teaming up with Stephen Curry in the Bay Area, a pairing that has hovered over the conversation since free agency opened.
Even with that update, there’s still no firm answer on what James will do or when he’ll decide. Other moves around the league remain stalled while teams wait on the 4x MVP.
The delay could help the Warriors in another way, too. Their interest in both James and Anthony Davis has been widely reported, and the longer James takes, the more time Golden State has to watch the situation with the Washington Wizards and Davis develop.
The Wizards have shown no real interest in moving the 10x All-Star, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in February. But that could shift as August 6 approaches, when Davis becomes extension-eligible.
If that opens the door to a trade, it could give Golden State a better path to making the kind of move that would set up a run at James in free agency. For now, though, Fischer’s report is the clearest sign yet that the Warriors are still very much in the race, even if the final call from the 41-year-old may still be a while away.
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