The Golden State Warriors clearly woke up and chose chaos this offseason. Apparently, just having Stephen Curry isn’t enough anymore. Now they’re reportedly interested in bringing LeBron James to the Bay while also exploring a trade for Anthony Davis.
The Warriors have been one of the NBA’s busiest teams over the last few years. Every offseason feels like they’re shopping for another superstar. Their mission is simple: squeeze every last championship run out of Curry before Father Time finally wins.
LeBron-to-Golden State rumors are back again, and NBA fans have already started losing their minds.
There are immediately several potential hurdles to a James-Davis reunion featuring Curry, so let’s run through them quickly:
While Davis has not exactly seemed eager to play for the Wizards next season, it is not clear if Washington is even willing to trade him. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins even hinted at a contract extension when he appeared on the broadcast of the second round of the NBA Draft. “We’ll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that,” he said.
Even if Washington is open to moving Davis, it is not clear if the Wizards would be interested in taking Butler back in a trade. He is recovering from a torn ACL, and while he is expected to return during the season, he probably won’t be ready early on, and there’s no telling how the 36-year-old will look when he makes it back. The Wizards just drafted AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall and have a number of other young forwards who need minutes, so Butler would be entering a logjam in Washington.
Golden State may not be the only party interested in Davis if he is moved. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported that the Portland Trail Blazers could view Davis as a possible Plan B should they fail in their pursuit of Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.
On the James front, Golden State’s ability to offer him a meaningful salary is dependent on a number of other moves. After re-signing Al Horford earlier this week, the Warriors are around $20 million below the first apron assuming Draymond Green picks up his $27.7 million player option. The mid-level exception creates a hard cap at that first apron figure, and it starts at around $15 million, but the Warriors currently only have 10 players under contract, so filling out the roster with James at that price would be difficult. The Warriors are also expected to retain Kristaps Porziņģis at center, which will further cut into their flexibility. They could clear extra money through a trade, or Green could decline his player option and re-sign at a lower figure, but for now, figuring out how the Warriors would afford everyone is tricky.
Whether any of this actually happens remains to be seen. NBA rumors have a habit of being louder than reality.
Get your popcorn ready. This offseason could get very weird, very fast.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is declining his $27.7 million player option to become a free agent, sources tell ESPN. This move gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis via trade to form a Big 4. pic.twitter.com/jBVRe1YZ1B
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
