The Golden State Warriors are still right in the middle of the LeBron James conversation, but they already appear to have a fallback if that chase comes up empty.
Golden State has been linked to James throughout free agency, and the franchise is clearly treating this as a swing worth taking. With Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and Draymond Green in place, the Warriors know this may be their last real shot to make one more championship push with that core. Curry reportedly met with James in June to talk about the possibility of bringing him to Golden State.
“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 signing somewhere else, the Warriors are expected to pivot quickly to another veteran name: DeMar DeRozan.
“The Warriors will pursue DeMar DeRozan in free agency, if LeBron James decides to sign elsewhere, per Anthony V. Slater. Golden State now has their Plan B option in place,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
DeRozan became available after Sacramento moved on from him, opening the door for contenders to make their pitch. ESPN reported that the Kings waived the veteran on Monday, and that his release was handled so he could find a new team.
“The Sacramento Kings have waived DeMar DeRozan, the team announced Monday, making the six-time All-Star one of the top free agents on the market. DeRozan had a partial guarantee on his contract for next season, but he and Sacramento worked on his release to allow him to find a new home. Multiple contenders are expected to have interest in the veteran guard,” ESPN wrote.
If Golden State misses on James and lands DeRozan instead, it would still come away with a proven scorer and another six-time All-Star. He’s not James at this stage, but he would give the Warriors another accomplished veteran to add to the mix.
In Other News...
Sabonis Trade Talk Just Got A Lot More Complicated For Kings
Domantas Sabonis has been in the middle of Sacramento trade chatter since the end of last season, but the Kings latest roster work has made that conversation a lot less straightforward. General manager Scott Perry has spent the summer reshaping the roster through the draft and free agency, and the result is a team that may no longer need to treat Sabonis as only a traditional starting center.
That shift matters because Sacramento is still trying to sort out its payroll and has been active in exploring moves involving other veterans. If the Kings can keep the books flexible and find the right balance around him, Sabonis could end up fitting in a different way than expected, which is why the question now is not just whether he can be moved, but whether the new version of the roster makes it smarter to keep him around for another season. [Read more 🡒]
DeMar DeRozans Kings Exit Suddenly Feels A Lot More Real
DeMar DeRozans time in Sacramento already had the feel of a short-term arrangement, and now the market around him is starting to look even more fluid. The veteran wing is a free agent, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that his next stop could be shaped by where LeBron James lands, with teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers and Heat among the clubs that could pivot to DeRozan if they miss on their bigger target.
For the Kings, the bigger picture is less about adding another name and more about how they manage the roster and the books from here. DeRozan is widely expected to end up on a veteran minimum deal elsewhere, which makes his exit feel less like a surprise than the next step in a summer that has steadily pointed him toward a new opportunity. [Read more 🡒]