{"id":728570,"date":"2026-05-08T03:15:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/728570\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T03:15:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:15:19","slug":"which-star-best-fits-the-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/728570\/","title":{"rendered":"Which star best fits the Warriors?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the Golden State Warriors<\/a> were hoping to keep their offseason intentions a secret, well \u2026 they failed. Because we all know exactly what Golden State wants to do this summer, after they figure out Steve Kerr\u2019s future, and maybe even extend Steph Curry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same thing they want to do every offseason, only this year it feels more urgent: acquire a star.<\/p>\n

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There are a lot of dark horse options. Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> always seems to have one foot on the trading block. The Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> could look to move on from Joel Embiid<\/a>, though their first-round upset of the Boston Celtics<\/a> makes that less likely. There are the tiniest rumors swirling around Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a>\u2019s future with the Denver Nuggets<\/a>. Kevin Durant<\/a> is still playing, which means he\u2019s not far away from moving to a new team. The NBA offseason is as messy and dramatic as a Keeping Up With The Kardashians episode, so it\u2019s impossible to tell just how it will unfold.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a trio of names that stand above the rest when it comes to being linked to the Warriors: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, and Kawhi Leonard.<\/p>\n

We know that the Dubs have been poking around James for years, trying to see if he wants to chase a ring alongside Curry before hanging up his signature Nikes. We know that Golden State tried like hell to trade for Antetokounmpo at the deadline, before the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> decided they were bluffing. And we know that the Warriors actually came somewhat close to dealing for Leonard at the deadline, putting forth a package that, according to reports, they thought the LA Clippers would accept.<\/p>\n

Not much has changed. All three of those Hall of Famers enter the summer knowing that they could be hitting up Zillow sometime between now and October. And the Warriors, even more star-craved than they were in February, are going to try like hell for all of them.<\/p>\n

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So for now, let\u2019s focus on those three. Which of the three is the best fit for the Warriors, and also the most realistic? Let\u2019s examine them one by one.<\/p>\n

LeBron James<\/p>\n

Contract status: Player option for one year, $52.6 million<\/p>\n

How the Warriors could acquire him<\/p>\n

James is the only one of these three who could sign with the Warriors outright. He gets to choose his fate, as he can opt into another year with the Los Angeles Lakers (and ask for a trade if he\u2019s done there), or enter free agency. The easiest way for the Warriors to acquire James would be if he really wanted to sign with Golden State, in which case he could join for the mid-level exception. However, there\u2019s nothing to indicate that he would be willing to leave tens of millions of dollars on the table. He has enough sway that if he decides to opt into his deal and then ask for a trade, that he could probably decide where to go. So acquiring him is all about LeBron deciding that he wants to finish his career in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n

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Why he\u2019d fit<\/p>\n

Do we really have to ask that? He\u2019s LeBron Freaking James, after all. He\u2019s arguably the greatest player in NBA history and he\u2019s remarkably selfless. James would give the Warriors pretty much everything they\u2019re looking for: an elite second scoring option, a dynamic playmaker that allows Curry to play off ball, and a walking money maker who will ensure that the Chase Center is sold out every night.<\/p>\n

One of the benefits of James is that we know he\u2019s willing to be the 1B at this stage in his career. Despite being in SoCal before them, James publicly pronounced the Lakers as Anthony Davis<\/a>\u2019 team, and then Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>\u2019s. There would be no star tug-of-war with Curry.<\/p>\n

We also know that LeBron gets along incredibly well with the Warriors core. He and Curry have a great relationship, have the utmost respect for each other, and have shared the court very well during their time as teammates for Team USA and in the All-Star Game. James and Draymond Green<\/a> are very close friends. And we know from his stint in the Olympics that LeBron has a huge level of respect for Kerr.<\/p>\n

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He\u2019s not the player he once was, but he\u2019s still one of the most well-rounded stars in the league, and one who would buy into what Golden State is doing.<\/p>\n

Why it might not work<\/p>\n

The biggest reason is that James will turn 42 next season, and he\u2019s finally starting to show some cracks in the armor in terms of availability; he\u2019s played 60 or fewer games four times in the last six seasons. Any move for a star is a short-term acquisition made to maximize Curry\u2019s title window, but James probably will retire in a season or two, and who knows how many games he\u2019ll play between now and then.<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/p>\n

Contract status: Two years, $121.2 million, with a player option for the second year<\/p>\n

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How the Warriors could acquire him<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a three-step plan. First, Antetokounmpo has to actually be available this summer. Second, the Warriors have to ask the Bucks to take their pick of any and everything they have to offer. Third, they have to hope that someone else doesn\u2019t have a whole lot more. In all likelihood, someone else will have a whole lot more, and then it\u2019s a matter of if Antetokounmpo wants to play for the Warriors, and if he\u2019s willing to force his way there.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019d fit<\/p>\n

At this stage in their respective careers, Antetokounmpo is pretty comfortably the best player of the three. He\u2019s pretty much a lock to be a top-five MVP finisher if healthy (his run of seven straight top-four finishes will come to a close this year, after he only played 36 games). And at 31 years old, he\u2019s also easily the youngest, and could help keep the team competitive post-Curry.<\/p>\n

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What he does on the court is desperately needed by the Warriors. He draws fouls. He vacuums up rebounds. He gets out in transition. He defends brilliantly. He\u2019s the total package, and it\u2019s a dream imagining his combination of size and athleticism \u2014 which is second only to Victor Wembanyama<\/a> \u2014 paired with Curry\u2019s shooting. It\u2019s pretty easy to imagine Antetokounmpo immediately giving the Warriors a top-10 offense and defense. Plus, we know he has great respect and adoration for Curry.<\/p>\n

Why it might not work<\/p>\n

Once arguably the most likable player in the league, Antetokounmpo has started to attract drama. He\u2019s lost a lot of fans with his stop-and-start status over the last year, as he seems to keep publicly changing his mind as to whether he wants to be traded or to stay in Milwaukee forever. He\u2019s jovial and he loves Curry, but it\u2019s fair to wonder if he might be a disruption on the Dubs, and if he\u2019d be comfortable not being the focal point of the offense, or the last name announced overs the PA system. And it\u2019s not hard to imagine something blowing up between Giannis and Draymond.<\/p>\n

He also had some injury issues this year, and his body is one that you could see falling apart in his 30s. His lack of a three-point shot also isn\u2019t ideal for a Warriors team that needs more shooters.<\/p>\n

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Kawhi Leonard<\/p>\n

Contract status: One year, $50.3 million<\/p>\n

How the Warriors could acquire him<\/p>\n

From the sound of it, Steve Ballmer was unwilling to trade Leonard to the Warriors at the deadline, so this starts with him having a change of heart. Perhaps LA\u2019s inability to make it past the Warriors in the first round of the play-in tournament will help convince Ballmer that a rebuild is in order. From there, it\u2019s probably a simple trade package centered around Jimmy Butler III<\/a> and a draft pick or two. Leonard is the most feasible from an acquisition standpoint.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019d fit<\/p>\n

In many ways, Leonard is the ultimate Kerr player. He\u2019s one of the top scorers in the league, but doesn\u2019t seem to care whether he\u2019s the go-to option or not, and doesn\u2019t like to hog the ball. He\u2019s a strong three-point shooter (39.1% for his career), but doesn\u2019t settle for jumpers. He\u2019s a good playmaker and a willing passer. And, of course, he\u2019s one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, with the length and skillset to switch on any screen.<\/p>\n

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Leonard (who averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game this year) and Curry would instantly be one of the best scoring duos in the NBA. Leonard and Green would instantly be one of the best defensive duos in the NBA, and one of the most versatile as well. That Kawhi has a knack for elevating his game in the playoffs sure doesn\u2019t hurt, either.<\/p>\n

In many ways, Leonard is like Andrew Wiggins<\/a>, just significantly better at everything, and substantially quicker at making his decisions. When you look at Golden State\u2019s roster, there\u2019s a strong case to be made that Leonard would be the best addition of these three in terms of fit.<\/p>\n

Why it might not work<\/p>\n

Kawhi might be the best fit on the court, but he\u2019s the worst at staying there. He played 65 games this year, which was just his second time exceeding 60 games in the least nine seasons. The Warriors are old and have a lot of injuries. Curry will miss time. Green will miss time. Butler, if the Warriors somehow find a way to pull off a star acquisition without trading him, will miss a whole lot of time. Al Horford<\/a> and Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is, should they return, will miss time. With Leonard, the Warriors would be putting a lot of faith in the health of a player who has, unfortunately, developed a reputation that conflicts with that faith.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s hard to find a reason it wouldn\u2019t work beyond that.<\/p>\n

In all likelihood, the Warriors won\u2019t get any of these three. But it is fun to think about\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If the Golden State Warriors were hoping to keep their offseason intentions a secret, well \u2026 they failed.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":728571,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3789],"tags":[869,500,495,7,75,559,187,200,123,164,1103,936,563,529,938,4034,192,4032,185,251,135,150,4033,4031,368,121,6,253,207,932,693],"class_list":["post-728570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles-clippers","tag-al-horford","tag-andrew-wiggins","tag-anthony-davis","tag-basketball","tag-boston-celtics","tag-clippers","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-draymond-green","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-jimmy-butler-iii","tag-joel-embiid","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-kawhi-leonard","tag-kevin-durant","tag-la","tag-la-clippers","tag-laclippers","tag-lebron-james","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-clippers","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-losangeles","tag-losangelesclippers","tag-luka-doncic","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-nba","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-steph-curry","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116536785238392023","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/728571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}