According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Golden State Warriors want to reunite LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Bay Area. Pairing James with Stephen Curry would already make the Warriors instant championship favorites. Add Davis to the mix, and the trio has already delivered an Olympic gold in 2024. But before the dream of an NBA championship, Dub Nation must overcome one major hurdle regarding Davis, per O’Connor.
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“The Warriors are attempting to trade for Wizards big Anthony Davis and then sign Lakers free-agent forward LeBron James. A trade for Davis would have to include Jimmy Butler, who is on an expiring $57 million contract while recovering from a torn ACL.”
“Davis is on track to become eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension on Aug. 6. If Davis were traded, his extension clock would reset. Under the collective bargaining agreement, he would be ineligible to sign that full max deal until six months after the new trade becomes official.”
Jimmy Butler, viewed as the centerpiece of any potential package, is entering the final year of his contract. His expiring salary provides the financial flexibility necessary to construct a deal, but Golden State would almost certainly need to attach valuable draft assets as well.
They have two future firsts and four first-round swaps to work with in any deal. Landing Davis would immediately restore the Warriors to championship contention while creating an ideal environment for James. The opportunity to reunite with Davis, join Curry and Draymond Green, and play under Steve Kerr could prove appealing for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as he evaluates the final stage of his legendary career.
Despite the growing speculation, AD’s current team has consistently indicated it wants to keep its franchise centerpiece. Last week, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said on the ESPN live draft show:
“He wants to be here. We want him here. We’ll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that.”
Washington has signaled an intention to keep Davis after re-signing Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million extension.
The Warriors are attempting to trade with the Wizards for Anthony Davis and then sign free agent LeBron James, per Yahoo Sports' @KevinOConnor. Sources say Golden State hope adding Davis would help lure LeBron from the Lakers once free agency opens on June 30. More: Show more
Still, the Warriors could eventually offer the lucrative extension, but they would be asking one of the league’s biggest stars to delay financial security in favor of chasing another title. Plus, the interest in AD remains high. Previously, the Stein Line reported Portland could pivot to Davis after missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Trail Blazers have better tradable salaries and future draft picks that could appeal to AD and be a roadblock for the Warriors. In recent years, the Golden State attempted to trade for Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard, but missed out on them. They pivoted to Butler only after Durant had no interest in a reunion. Now with Butler on the IL, Curry’s championship window is getting smaller.
But AD’s contract is just part of the problem.
Another complication in the Anthony Davis-LeBron James reunion
The Stein Line previously reported that the Warriors expected to pursue James “for months” should he seriously entertain leaving the Lakers. ESPN’s Shams Charania stated two days ago, “My understanding is, the Lakers have not made an offer to LeBron as of yesterday. Over the next five or six days, we’ll learn more.”
Many sources around the league expect Bron Bron to take a pay cut, down to $30-$40 million. But here is the problem: even if Bron moves to the Warriors to pair up with AD and Curry, the Dubs can only offer a $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. That’s $37 million less than his previous salary.
The Lakers have remained the frontrunners, but the recent Austin Reaves extension and a need for an A-list center alongside Luka would mean Bron Bron is not a priority. That’s when the Warriors can create leverage, and bringing AD to the Bay Area will only strengthen their pursuit.