The latest update on LeBron James' free agency isn't a particularly positive one for the Golden State Warriors, and it leaves them with only one silver lining if the 41-year-old does reject their long-running pursuit.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin on Friday, James is likely to head to an Eastern Conference team -- most likely the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat or Philadelphia 76ers. That would deliver a brutal blow to the Warriors and their offseason plans, but at least the superstar forward would be heading to the other conference.
Warriors only get one silver lining if LeBron James heads East
James has spoken publicly for the first time in the past 48 hours at Fanatics Fest in New York, with McMenamin reporting his belief based on sources around the ongoing situation.
"Multiple sources familiar with his thinking told me, within the last 24 hours, that he is truly getting much closer to a decision," McMenamin said. "In the conversations that I’ve had in the last 24 hours in New York City, it seems like an Eastern Conference team will win the LeBron James sweepstakes."
Losing out on James would be a tough outcome for the Warriors given they've had their eyes on the four-time MVP from well before this dramatic two-week saga, and especially considering the lack of quality alternatives left available on the free agency market.
The only silver lining would be James leaving the Lakers to head East, rather than joining a conference rival like the Minnesota Timberwolves or Denver Nuggets who've been in the race to varying degrees since the start of the month.
The Timberwolves and Nuggets are both ahead of the Warriors in the West as things currently stand, and a wider gap would be created if one of them managed to sign James on a minimum contract. Conversely, Golden State could close the gap significantly if this update is wrong and James does head to the Bay Area.
Warriors wouldn't get as frequent a reminder of what they've missed
The other aspect is the Warriors would only see James twice rather than three or four times during the regular season, offering less of a reminder of what they missed out on should this free agency outcome not fall in their favor.
It's not much to hold onto, but positives have to be found from what will otherwise be a disappointing and negative situation if Golden State can't land James. For now they still have hope and signals that James could be strongly considering a future playing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but McMenamin's update certainly pours some cold water on their chances.
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