Golden State watched Giannis go to Miami and barely blinked. The front office moved on fast, and everyone in the Bay Area already knows where the eyes turned next.
Free agency opens tonight, and the Warriors are not waiting around. One insider just laid out exactly how serious this has gotten.
Warriors eye LeBron, but they are not banking on a Davis trade
GettyInsider Unveils Warriors’ LeBron James Pursuit After Jimmy Butler Update
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dropped the line on Get Up, and ClutchPoints grabbed it.
“The Warriors told Jimmy Butler they’re not trading him. I think the focus right now is can they get LeBron James away from the Los Angeles Lakers? That’s something they’re going to try to get done, today.” – Brian Windhorst, via ClutchPoints, citing ESPN’s Get Up.
– Brian Windhorst 👀
(via @GetUpESPN)
That quote settles one thing fast. Golden State is not dangling Butler, who is still working back from a torn ACL on an expiring $57 million deal. The Anthony Davis trade chatter around him has cooled, at least for the moment, and James is the priority.
Windhorst also dropped a second piece of intel yesterday, that gives the Warriors actual hope here. He said it has been communicated to him that James’s top priority next season is happiness, not money, and that James already knows he will need to take a steep pay cut from his current $50 million salary.
That changes the math. A Davis trade was always going to be hard, with Washington unlikely to give him up cheap. But if James is genuinely willing to play for far less, Golden State does not need Davis at all to make this work.
What a LeBron deal could actually look like
GettyInsider Reveals Warriors’ Next Move on LeBron James After Jimmy Butler Update
Windhorst said he does not know exactly which number James would accept, whether that is the $15 million midlevel exception, the smaller taxpayer midlevel around six or seven million, or even closer to the veteran minimum.
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists this past season, then watched the Lakers get swept by Oklahoma City in the second round. That kind of playoff exit, paired with a stated preference for happiness, is exactly the opening Golden State has been hoping for.
None of this is signed or finalized. But between protecting Butler and hearing that James might actually take a discount, the Warriors have more reason than ever to believe tonight could be the night.
If it happens, Golden State adds James alongside Curry for at least one season, giving the roster a completely different look heading into training camp. Whether that translates into deep playoff success remains to be seen, but it would change the conversation around this team immediately.
Golden State Warriors Making Boldest Push to Land LeBron James