The Golden State Warriors have been down this road before. A star becomes available, rumors start swirling, and before long, Golden State finds itself at the center of a conversation about chasing one more title. This time, that conversation concerns LeBron James potentially joining the Warriors. And if Golden State were to make that kind of crazy move, it's likely they would be willing to give up any players not named Stephen Curry or Draymond Green.
LeBron’s partnership with Luka Doncic in Los Angeles never looked sustainable long-term, and the Lakers appear to be shifting toward the future whether they admit it or not. If they eventually decide to move on, the Warriors are one of the few teams that could make a serious play for James.
For them to do that, it makes sense that only Curry and Green would be the untouchables. Not the younger guys like Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody. And not even Jimmy Butler, who just arrived in February in what was supposed to be the team’s final push to re-enter title contention.
Curry and Green would likely be GSW's only untouchables
It’s a lot to process, especially since Butler gave the team an edge it had been missing since the championship core started to fade. But he is also the one piece whose contract makes any LeBron deal possible. And if the Warriors decide they would rather roll with LeBron instead of Butler, that move could happen in a heartbeat.
There is no longer a question about loyalty to the original core either. Klay Thompson is gone, and Golden State is well past the days of prioritizing sentiment over strategy. This is about giving Steph one more legitimate shot, and the front office knows what that looks like. They have pulled this off before.
The idea of pairing Steph and LeBron on the same team has been floated as a possibility for many years now. It's always been the kind of wild idea that gets the fanbases of both teams riled up. And if the Warriors find themselves in position to make it happen, there is no reason to think they will let role players or long-term development stand in the way.
Because at the end of the day, this is about the present. For better or for worse, Golden State knows that their best bet is go all-in before the title window finally shuts (if it's not already closed). And if LeBron James is available, they're probably going to go for it.