The Golden State Warriors are one of the many teams that have put their business on hold right now. Even as the offseason rolls on, they continue to wait for word on LeBron’s big decision. As a team with Stephen Curry and a history of success, the Warriors have earned a place in the sweepstakes, but their pursuit has not been going particularly well.
Compared to teams like the Cavaliers, Heat, and 76ers, the Warriors have fallen behind. Being in the West makes the path much harder for Golden State, and it weakens their position in the NBA hierarchy.
“From the folks I’ve talked to, it seems like Golden State is more of a remote possibility than maybe we would have said a week ago, or two weeks ago,” reported ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And a lot of that has to do with the Eastern Conference and the path that it would provide.”
While they continue to hold out hope, even the Warriors believe they are a tier behind their competitors for LeBron. Even so, they have the advantage of location working in their favor. Being in San Francisco means LeBron could stay relatively close to where his family has been living, ensuring maximum comfort for his wife, Savannah, and daughter, Zhuri.
“They have told me they think it’s a longer shot, but it’s also a shorter flight,” said Spears. “He could be back there in 50 minutes to be back at his daughter’s volleyball games and have dinner with his family. Obviously, he’s close with Draymond and Steph.”
Several high-level Warriors members have already spoken on LeBron. Steph Curry gave his pitch publicly, while Draymond Green reportedly made a private appeal. Steve Kerr even trolled the fans by claiming the decision was already a done deal. So far, however, news of his next team is purely speculation, and all we know is that he’s chasing “basketball happiness.”
At 41 years old, LeBron James doesn’t have the time or patience to sit through another rebuild. Anything less than competitive, high-level basketball would be considered a waste of time. Those standards have limited the potential teams to a list of four or five, and two of them (the Heat and Cavaliers) are places where he’s previously played and won at the highest levels.
Besides being in the West, the Warriors have age working against them. Curry is 38, Draymond is 36, and Klay Thompson (36) is a shell of himself after forcing his way out. As a team, they haven’t made the Finals since 2022, and they only finished 10th in the West last season at 37-45. With the core getting older, most experts agree that the Warriors are on the decline and not in a position to compete with the likes of the Thunder and Spurs.
Still, despite the optics, Golden State hasn’t given up hope of luring LeBron James to come and play with Steph. While age is a concern, there is a way that can make up for it by leaning more on younger guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg. If nothing else, they still have championship experience and a winning locker room culture, maintained by head coach Steve Kerr.
For LeBron, joining the Warriors would be the ultimate twist to his NBA career, and a chance to alter history one last time before his career is all said and done. Together, he and Steph wouldn’t be the favorites in the West, but they could certainly make some noise as two legends who are desperate to go out as winners.