The Warriors’ dream of building a star-packed superteam has already run into a major snag, even before the offseason gets moving in full.
Golden State is widely linked to LeBron James, with the franchise hoping to land the 41-year-old after he made it clear he has “zero intentions of competing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2026-27.” The Warriors also want former Lakers star and NBA champion Anthony Davis, a move that would potentially give them a huge new core alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Green, who opted out of his $27.7 million player option with the Warriors to give the organization more financial flexibility, is expected to re-sign.
But there’s a catch: the Washington Wizards are not interested in moving Davis right now, and that complicates the entire picture.
Still, CBS Sports’ John Gonzalez thinks the Warriors could end up making the kind of stunning swap that reshapes the offseason. He even predicted Golden State would send Jimmy Butler out in a deal for Davis this summer.
“Jimmy Butler, it was fun-ish while it lasted, but his services in the Bay Area are no longer required,” Gonzalez wrote Tuesday. “I'm skeptical we get this much of an offseason bombshell in the form of Steph, LeBron, Draymond, and AD all teaming up.”
He added, “I'm skeptical that Davis, who has played just 29 games since the Lakers traded him 17 months ago -- which simultaneously feels impossibly low and too high -- is healthy and available enough to make an impact even if Golden State can swap him out for Butler.”
And Gonzalez didn’t stop there.
“I'm skeptical that even if this happens, and even if everything breaks right, that the overall roster would be a true contender in the West. I'm skeptical -- but I want it to happen anyway. The entertainment value alone would be outrageous.”
There’s no denying the appeal of the idea, but Davis comes with serious risk. The 33-year-old has been dealing with injury problems for a while, with upper and lower body setbacks piling up since the start of his second season with the Lakers in 2020-21.
Even so, if adding Davis makes it more likely that James lands in the Bay, Golden State may still be willing to push hard for the move. For now, though, the Wizards’ stance makes the Warriors’ superteam vision look far less realistic.
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