The Golden State Warriors have not been shy about recruiting LeBron James.
Stephen Curry has spoken with him. Draymond Green used a recent vacation to make his pitch. Golden State remains involved in one of the biggest free-agent pursuits of the offseason.
Inside the organization, however, expectations appear more measured.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported on SportsCenter on Monday that the Warriors’ decision-makers have viewed the Cleveland Cavaliers as James’ most likely destination since the beginning of free agency, even while Golden State continues to press its case.
“Their decision-makers really from the beginning of this free agency have not expressed much optimism to me that they’re going to ultimately be the destination,” Slater said. “They know they’re in on it. They’ve identified Cleveland from the beginning as what they believe is the most likely destination.”
That does not mean the Warriors believe they are wasting their time.
Slater said Golden State possesses one advantage most teams in the process cannot match: direct access to James through two of the most accomplished players of his generation.
Warriors Stars Can Reach LeBron Directly
“They also have an advantage and they know it,” Slater said. “Draymond Green is pitching LeBron James on vacation, 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.”
Curry publicly confirmed his recruiting effort last week at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.
“I don’t have a percentage,” Curry said when asked about Golden State’s chances. “It’s kind of up to him. I feel like any place he called and said, ‘I want to play there,’ you move mountains to make it happen.
“And I know we’re in that boat as well.”
Curry’s pitch centered on winning, basketball fit and the Warriors’ championship infrastructure.
“So the pitch is: Do you want to play good basketball and be around people who know how to play the game?” Curry said. “Raise our floor, competitiveness. There’s good golf in the Bay.”
He also pointed to Golden State’s history of winning four championships during his career and the possibility of joining forces with James after years of meeting on opposite sides of the NBA’s biggest stage.
Curry Selling Historic Partnership
Slater said the historical significance of a Curry-James partnership has become a central part of Golden State’s pitch.
“I thought one of the most interesting parts of Steph’s pitch was basically the historic nature of them potentially teaming up,” Slater said. “With Year 18 for Steph, Year 24 for LeBron, the battles they’ve had.”
Slater added that Curry described a partnership as potentially “one of the most unique stories in NBA history.”
The two future Hall of Famers met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018 before finally playing together under Warriors coach Steve Kerr during Team USA’s gold medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
James later called that experience “everything and more,” praising the opportunity to play alongside Curry in games carrying championship stakes.
That shared Olympic run has become one of Golden State’s strongest selling points.
Green Says His Pitch Was ‘Crazy’
Green confirmed Sunday on The Draymond Green Show that he also recruited James during their recent vacation.
“I’d be remiss if I don’t take the opportunity to throw my pitch in there,” Green said. “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?’”
Green said he believes his message was strong enough to make James reconsider whatever direction he may be leaning.
“Of course, the pitch was crazy,” Green said. “I think I’m pretty decent at it. Does it change anything? Does it make anything happen? I don’t know. I hope so.”
“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.”
Curry and Green can get James’ attention in ways rival front offices cannot. Whether that access changes the outcome is another matter.
Slater’s reporting suggests the Warriors have balanced ambition with realism throughout the process: They are willing to move mountains if James chooses Golden State, but they still believe Cleveland is the destination they are trying to beat.
Warriors’ True Feelings on LeBron James Pursuit Revealed After Curry, Green Push