The Golden State Warriors are one of the teams in the running for LeBron James, though, over the past few days, it seems things have shifted in full force toward the Cavaliers, and even the front office felt that way. Well, about that. On Friday, Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland that he's heard that the 41-year-old already has a deal worked out elsewhere.
"I'm hearing stuff in other cities too. I'm not gonna say who but I had somebody on the phone with me today that I consider a good source who was swearing it's a done deal in another city," - @WindhorstESPN on the latest LeBron rumors 😯😯😯 pic.twitter.com/4uHgOsAC86
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 10, 2026
Listen, that doesn't mean what Windhorst heard is true, but because he is well-established in the NBA realm, it's certainly notable. It's worth wondering, if it is true, which team it could be?
ESPN's Shams Charania said earlier this week that the Cavaliers, Heat, and Sixers seemed to be in the lead for LeBron. Could that mean that he already has something worked out with Miami or Philadelphia? Maybe. It's still very much a guessing game at this point.
Cavaliers may not be in the lead for LeBron
As soon as Charania reported last week that James informed the Lakers he wouldn't be back with the team for the 2026-27 season, it felt like he would end up with the Warriors. You can't draw up a better storybook ending for him than playing with Steph Curry and Draymond Green under Steve Kerr. That is, unless returning to Cleveland wasn't an option.
The Cavaliers made it known before the season ended that they would welcome LeBron back to where it all began. James Harden is holding off on signing a new deal to see if they can get James.
LeBron not only went on a special 10th-anniversary trip with other members of Cleveland's 2016 championship team, but he's also already spent time in Ohio this offseason, adding more fuel to the fire. All of those factors combined had Golden State fans feeling discouraged about the odds of him ending up in San Francisco.
Just like that, though, that hope is back alive. It's impossible not to wonder if he has already agreed to a handshake deal with the Warriors. Or, even if he hasn't, is LeBron seriously thinking about going somewhere other than Cleveland? Either way, Golden State could benefit.
No, the Warriors aren't the Cavaliers, but that could prove to be a good thing for James if what he's looking for isn't in Cleveland.
He wouldn't have to relocate far from his home base in Los Angeles if he went to Golden State, which would allow him to stay on the same side of the country as his family. And what could be right up there with that is the chance to win a title with Curry and Draymond, after all those years of their battles. Talk about special.
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