LeBron James knows that if he were to want to leave the Lakers this offseason, the door to join the Golden State Warriors is open. Well, it might already be shut, as ESPN's Anthony Slater wrote on Wednesday that the Warriors believe the 41-year-old will remain in Los Angeles:
If negotiations between James and the Los Angeles Lakers break down -- and if James goes searching for a new home for his 24th NBA season -- the Warriors are a willing suitor, team sources said. But openness does not equal anticipation. All the intel that Warriors decision-makers have gathered continues to point toward James' return to the Lakers, team sources said, and they are currently plotting their summer under that premise.
Marc Spears said on ESPN that he heard that LeBron will "likely" be back with the Lakers.
"I'm hearing that [LeBron's] likely coming back [to the Lakers]. ... Kevin Love could likely be joining the Lakers too."@MarcJSpears gives some insight on what could be next for LeBron 🏀 pic.twitter.com/EV1Qwqiixf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 17, 2026
Los Angeles can negotiate with its own free agents, and Brian Windhorst said on Tuesday that the Lakers are having discussions with Rich Paul, LeBron's agent. He added that the two sides could even reach a deal before June 30.
The expectation is still that LeBron will stay with Lakers
It never felt all that likely that Golden State would land LeBron, but thanks to Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr, it was still a possibility, even if it was just a small one. Technically, it still is, since nothing is official, but over the past few days, it seems the already high odds of James staying in LA have gotten even higher.
As Slater wrote, the Warriors are a "willing suitor" if things go south between LeBron and the Lakers, so they're lurking in the shadows. Not getting him, though, would be in line with the direction Golden State is now going in, as it wants to get younger. Adding the oldest player in the league wouldn't fit that description, but for James, they'd make an exception.
And if we're being honest, LeBron going to the Warriors wouldn't fit the direction he wants to go in, either. Literally, as in LA is his home, but also regarding his career. We know that he wants to be somewhere he can compete for a championship, and he has a much better chance of doing that with the Lakers. He, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves had something special going on in March before injuries changed that.
If he were to end up in San Francisco, it'd be more about him finally getting to play on the same NBA team as Curry and Green, and a lot less about winning another title. If that were what LeBron valued, then it would make sense, but that's never been who he is. That doesn't mean things couldn't change, but based on what's been reported, it doesn't seem like they have.
Add us as a preferred source on Google