Wow. LeBron James has chosen the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, turning down significant interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, among others.
James' decision deals a critical blow to the Warriors' offseason hopes, and essentially confirms the worst fears of fans when it comes to the franchise's fate for next season. Golden State will be running it back with largely the same roster, will wait for Jimmy Butler to return from his torn ACL injury, and will very likely be a Play-In Tournament at best in an increasingly competitive Western Conference.
LeBron James stunner confirms Warriors' fans worst fears
Had James chosen the Warriors as his free agency destination, it very likely could have been accompanied by another move that prioritized the short-term window with he and franchise superstar Stephen Curry.
For weeks there were talks that Golden State were pursuing Anthony Davis as a trade target in addition to James, and that remained the case right up until this stunning decision on Friday. That at least proved the Warriors were willing to entertain trading Butler amid his recovery, but that's likely gone out the door now and will leave the team short-handed until his return likely in January or February.
By that point the season will be halfway through, and there's now real question marks on whether Golden State will have enough to just keep their head above water and hang around the .500 mark, let alone actually thrive without the six-time All-Star.
Even if the Warriors can cause a surprise and be good during Butler's absence, it will likely take a herculean effort from Curry and other veterans which then doesn't bode well for when things actually count later in the season.
Warriors can still make moves but they aren't likely to be major
Golden State still have nearly $100 million in tradeable salary and all their first-round picks outside of a top 20 protected one owed in 2030. This is a team that could still go out and make a major move to prioritize the Curry window, but that would be a shock given their reported 'Plan B' and recent history.
The Warriors haven't prioritized the Curry era in recent years, so why change now when he's 38-years-old? ESPN's Anthony Slater reported earlier in the week that the Plan B was to simply re-sign Draymond Green and continue with the idea of optionality and flexibility that fans have been getting rather sick of hearing about in recent times.
Golden State were banking on landing James to not only be incredibly relevant next season, but to actually push them into being more than a Play-In team. Without him and with injuries to Butler and Moses Moody, next season already looks like a bleak prospect.
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