The Golden State Warriors' offseason, to this point, has largely been frozen by LeBron James.
As the NBA world awaits the 41-year-old's ultimate free agency decision, there are a number of offseason dominos that have been put on pause. Teams like the Warriors, who are depending on veteran talent to fill out the rest of their roster, must wait to see where James lands before things begin to pick up again.
Even if James winds up in Golden State for 2026-27, the rest of Golden State's options this offseason will be limited. Perhaps a reunion with Gary Payton II is in the cards. But no matter what, they will need to add some reliable and available contributors to this aging roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers, for their part, are in a similar position as they await a decision from the Atlanta Hawks on Jonathan Kuminga's status. They've indicated interest in a sign-and-trade for the young forward, which would require them to shed salary from their current roster.
In the meantime, the Warriors might still be able to swipe a veteran wing in Bruce Brown— taking a once-likely Lakers' fall-back option right out from under their noses.
Bruce Brown would be a solid addition for the Warriors, and the Jonathan Kuminga saga has left the door open for them
The Lakers, even after their bevy of additions in the wake of James' departure, still desperately needed talent on the wings and in the frontcourt. It's why they're pursuing Kuminga, and it's why they added Ziaire Williams on a one-year, $3 million deal yesterday.
Williams, at the very least, fills that spot on the depth chart for Los Angeles. But with the way the Kuminga saga is unfolding, it's possible that Bruce Brown would have been another likely fallback option for them. With the futures of Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht still in question, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Brown is still on their radar.
Although Brown dealt with severe injury issues between 2023-24 and 2024-25, he just rounded off a resurgent season with the Denver Nuggets, playing in all 82 games and averaging 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc.
Perhaps Brown remains in Denver this offseason. The Nuggets still have three roster spots to fill and over $8 million between them and the first apron. The Lakers, for their part, have shown interest in Brown as far back as the 2023-24 season, when he signed with the Indiana Pacers.
But the Williams signing, which was in direct response to the Kuminga saga, closes that door for now. All 15 of the Lakers' roster spots are now full, likely giving the Warriors the chance to pursue Brown once the James saga comes to an end.
It's simply a matter of timing, but bringing Brown in on a veteran minimum contract would be a solid pickup for Golden State this offseason. By bringing in Williams, the Lakers have now solidified their backup plan for Kuminga. Even if they wind up with an opportunity for Brown when it's all said and done, they've opened the door for the Warriors to nab Brown before Los Angeles' negotiations with the Hawks are resolved.
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