Draymond Green has been chasing this idea for years: LeBron James in a Warriors uniform.
That pursuit suddenly looks a lot more real.
Green has long wanted to team up with his friend, the player he’s openly viewed as the GOAT, and he’s already been through several of LeBron’s big career moves - from Miami back to Cleveland in 2014, then from Cleveland to the Lakers in 2018. Now, after declining his $27 million player option to become a free agent, Green was hoping to help pull LeBron out of Los Angeles and into Golden State for what could be the final season of his career.
It was never a small ask. Green would have had to leave the Lakers, where he has spent eight seasons, and potentially take a pay cut to make the whole thing work. But that tells you how badly he wanted this pairing.
LeBron just gave the idea real momentum.
On Tuesday, he informed the Lakers that they can plan for a future without him, because he’ll be with a different organization in 2026-27. He is postponing retirement for at least one more year as he goes after one last championship.
BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/zzVk6xUVF1
- Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2026
The announcement lit up social media almost immediately, with the post from NBA insider Shams Charania piling up about 150,000 likes within an hour.
If this ends with LeBron in Golden State, the credit will go straight to Green. Call it another Draymond masterclass. He already helped recruit Kevin Durant to the Warriors, and that move brought the franchise a couple of rings.
Green and LeBron also share the same agent, which only adds another layer to the possibility.
There is still one other path in play: LeBron could decide to return to Cleveland and finish where his NBA story began, with the Eastern Conference team he started his career with and won a title for. But if he doesn’t go home, the Warriors look like the destination to watch.
And if Golden State somehow lands LeBron, the league will have a monster on its hands. A group built around Draymond Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Steph Curry would be a brutal matchup for everyone else.
If the Warriors also trade for Davis, Jimmy Butler would likely have to be part of the deal somehow. And if Golden State managed to keep him in that scenario, the Warriors would be the clear title favorites in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Former Spartan Thomas Kithier Lands Intriguing New Coaching Opportunity
Thomas Kithiers basketball path has taken another turn, and the former Michigan State big man is staying in the game in a new way. After his playing career, Kithier moved into coaching and spent time working under Dwayne Stephens at Western Michigan, a stop that helped build his rsum behind the scenes. For Spartans fans who remember him as a steady rebounder during his time in East Lansing, it is another reminder that his connection to the sport has carried well beyond his college days.
Now Kithier is headed to Utah State, where he is set to join the Aggies staff as a video coordinator and assistant coach. The move keeps him on the rise in the coaching ranks after an early end to his playing career, one shaped by a back injury following his transfer to Valparaiso. The transition has not always been viewed the same way by Michigan State fans, but Kithier is clearly finding a lane in the profession and giving himself another shot to make an impact. [Read more 🡒]
Mat Ishbia Is Quietly Turning The Suns Into A Spartan Operation
Mat Ishbia has never been shy about making the Phoenix Suns reflect his roots, and the latest version of that vision has a familiar East Lansing feel. The Michigan State alum now has Bryan Gregory in the front office, Jordan Ott on the bench, Mateen Cleaves as an assistant coach, and Miles Bridges in the roster mix, giving the franchise a small but notable Spartan footprint in a major NBA market.
For Michigan State fans, it is the kind of cross-sport connection that is hard to miss, especially with Tom Izzo still patrolling the sideline in East Lansing after weighing his own future last offseason. Izzo stayed, and the Spartans kept moving, but Ishbias orbit continues to widen around names that matter in both programs, leaving plenty of reason to watch how deep that Michigan State influence ultimately goes. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Bryce Underwood Rumor Has Spartans Rolling Their Eyes
Rumors have a way of racing ahead of reality around Michigan, especially when the quarterback conversation gets loud, and this latest one has plenty of people in Ann Arbor and beyond shaking their heads. The talk started on Utah message boards, where an anonymous poster claimed to have heard from a quarterbacks father that Michigan might already be eyeing another answer at the position, even though nothing about the speculation has been confirmed.
For Michigan State fans, the whole thing is mostly useful as a reminder that the Wolverines quarterback picture still feels unsettled. Bryce Underwood remains at the center of the discussion, but Michigan is also looking at other options, including freshman Tommy Carr and transfer Colin Hurley, which only adds fuel to the outside chatter. Whether any of it amounts to more than message-board noise is the part everyone is still waiting to find out. [Read more 🡒]