Sports

Why the Warriors May Have a Unique Leg Up in the LeBron James Sweepstakes

By Dan Lyons Sports Illustrated

For the most part, NBA free agency is complete. Given the current salary cap structure, which makes teams far less willing to sign free agents to huge money, most players change teams via trade before they hit the true open market. However, the biggest name in basketball remains an unrestricted free agent, available to sign with any team that can fit him under the salary cap, or convince him to sign to a mid-level exception or veteran's minimum deal: LeBron James.

The market for James has started to take shape. In an interview with NBA Today, ESPN insider Shams Charania named five franchises as "leading suitors" for the former Lakers forward: the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, 76ers and Timberwolves. All have been connected to James since his decision to leave the Lakers.

Some of the fits are fairly clear: James won championships in both Cleveland and Miami, and both of those franchises are gearing up to compete for a title in 2026–27. The 76ers and Timberwolves are making runs as well, following their acquisitions of Jaylen Brown and LaMelo Ball, respectively. And then there are the Warriors, a franchise with which James repeatedly clashed during his second stint with the Cavaliers, and with whom he has some close connections.

Cleveland-or, more accurately, nearby Akron-is home for James. The Heat are the team with which LeBron won his first two titles and where he truly began to build the résumé that places him in GOAT conversations. And Philadelphia and Minnesota may offer him a higher upside and his best chances to make a run at title No. 5.

But James is taking a pretty hands-off approach to his free agency, leaving Rich Paul to deal with most teams. Except for Golden State, that is. James's close relationship with Draymond Green gives the Warriors an interesting advantage in the biggest remaining free agency race.

According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, Draymond Green and Steph Curry's ability to contact LeBron James directly give them one advantage

During a Monday SportsCenter appearance, Slater laid out where the Warriors have a leg up on the rest of the field. Not only is Green, a longtime friend of James, involved, but Golden State guard Steph Curry-the other defining player of this era of basketball-also told Slater during a recent interview in the Lake Tahoe area that he has spoken to James.

"Draymond Green is pitching LeBron James on vacation," Slater said. "And I was in Tahoe the other day and Steph Curry said he's been in contact with him. Not many people in this process can reach LeBron James directly but the Warriors players can. And I thought one of the most interesting parts of Steph's pitch is basically the historic nature of them potentially teaming up.

"Year 18 for Steph, year 24 for LeBron, the battles they've had-he called it, maybe, it could be one of the most unique stories in NBA history if they teamed up."

Curry has been outspoken about his desire for the potential collaboration.

"The pitch is: Do you want to play good basketball and be around people who know how to play the game? Raise our floor, our competitiveness," Curry said last week. "There's good golf in the Bay."

"We're an organization that's been there. He knows that. That's really self-explanatory. It's a matter of where he sees himself fitting. At the end of the day, that's up to him."

Slater also noted Golden State's recent hire of former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who won a title with James in 2020, though he downplayed the idea that it had much to do with the Warriors' pursuit of the free agent forward.

NEXT: LeBron James Free Agency Roundtable-Expert Predictions for Superstar's Next Team

Green described his pitch to James on a recent episode of his podcast

After taking some umbrage with Charania's decision to report on the pair of friends hanging out in person-something he didn't believe was relevant because of their well-established friendship- Green opened up about how he pitched James.

"I'd be remiss if I don't take the opportunity to throw my pitch in there. I'd be crazy if we're together for X amount of days and at no point am I like, ‘Yo, we need to chop it up. What the hell going on? What we doing?' And so there's that. Of course I did that. And of course the pitch was crazy. I think I'm pretty decent at it. ... With the things I shared in it, it definitely is going to make the brain work a little bit.

"I don't think there's a decision that's been made but say if there was, it'd make you think twice about it."

Green made clear that the trip was far more about their friendship and golf, and that it wasn't all about recruiting James to the Warriors, but that he had the opportunity and took his shot. He added that he doesn't know whether it will ultimately make a difference in the recruitment.

Green is also a free agent, after declining a player option in a move that could help the Warriors land James

Entering the offseason, Green was expected to pick up the $27.7 million player option to return to Golden State in 2026–27. Instead, he declined it, making him one of the other big-name free agents on the market.

Technically, that is. Everything Green has said and done this offseason indicates that he is set to return to the Warriors, and his decision was quickly reported as having been made with adding James-and perhaps even Wizards forward Anthony Davis-in mind.

There hasn't been much movement on the Davis front, and Washington seems loath to move him as they intend to hit the ground running quickly after drafting AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, but the move still gives the team some roster flexibility around their pursuit of James.

On paper, it is hard to see the already old Warriors elevating themselves to true contender status in the way that teams like the Cavaliers, Timberwolves and 76ers could with James in tow. But the James camp insists that this move isn't about money, and it doesn't necessarily seem to be about ring-chasing either. More so, it's about a well-rounded situation that LeBron can enjoy in the true twilight of his career.

And in that case, living the Bay Area lifestyle, playing with some of his best friends in the league and continuing to chase history does have some serious appeal.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why the Warriors May Have a Unique Leg Up in the LeBron James Sweepstakes.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 5:22 PM.

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