The Golden State Warriors viewed LeBron James as their only major free agent target, but they ended up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers. Stephen Curry was rumored to recruit James since they’ve been linked together for over a decade now as the faces of the NBA. Despite having a lot of respect for Curry, LeBron didn’t seriously consider Golden State compared to the main Eastern Conference teams recruiting him.
Curry commented for the first time about his involvement in this process during the offseason:
“If anybody didn’t [try to recruit him], I think they’d be a fool. It was a good time for the NBA — obviously with a guy of his stature, his notoriety, to be in that position where he got to choose where he wanted to go.”
Curry’s comment was straight and to the point about confirming his involvement and respecting James’ decision to play elsewhere. With Jimmy Butler injured, Curry is the only current All-Star caliber player on the Warriors roster.
No other players could have helped the recruiting process much, except for Draymond Green due to his friendship with LeBron. Unfortunately for Golden State, Curry and Green could not sell James on trusting the rest of the roster to contend for an NBA Championship.
Why Stephen Curry Couldn’t Convince LeBron
A rumor circulated during the free agent chase that James wanted to see the Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers make a big trade if he was going to join either team. Golden State made zero bold moves to shake up the roster and went all in after LeBron.
Reports indicated that Anthony Davis was the name that the Warriors could have added to tempt James to team with his former Los Angeles Lakers co-star and Curry. The Washington Wizards showed no interest in trading Davis before he played a game with them to make that unrealistic.
Philadelphia pulling off a shocking trade of acquiring Jaylen Brown in exchange for Paul George ultimately convinced LeBron to sign there. Brown is coming off a career year and proved that a team adding one more piece was what James most wanted from the serious suitors.
Stephen Curry Needs To Find New Co-Star
Golden State enters this season with the same issue as last season – Curry doesn’t have nearly enough help to contend in the West. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg must contribute instantly to the team to have the depth needed to make up for the talent gap against other teams.
The often injury prone Kristaps Porzingis must have a healthy season playing as effectively as he did for the Boston Celtics in 2024. All these variables and Butler’s return must work perfectly for the Warriors to even make the playoffs at all.
Otherwise, Curry will have to do more recruiting to get another star on the team via a trade or free agent signing next summer. Davis and Trey Murphy have become the two names most linked to Golden State, but each season sees new stars hitting the market. Curry clearly needs another star on the roster to end his career with any contention hopes.
Stephen Curry Discusses Recruiting LeBron James In Free Agency