In a surprising development, the Golden State Warriors have surpassed the Cleveland Cavaliers as the new betting favorites to sign LeBron James.
The shift in the odds comes even after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday that the Warriors were behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers in the pecking order to sign James.
“To my knowledge, [the Warriors] are behind other teams such as Miami, Cleveland and Philadelphia,” Charania told the “Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday.
Warriors Hurdle to Sign LeBron James
Charania added that the Warriors’ chances of signing James had not gained much traction due to their reported reluctance to trade for another star like Anthony Davis.
“The issue, I think, with LeBron James… when you look at that team with the Warriors, is that team, if he’s there, is that team good enough? And I think that’s the big question,” Charania said, while offering insight on how Golden State can woo James.
The insider explained why James would have a better shot of pursuing a title in Cleveland, Miami or Philadelphia than in Golden State.
“The Warriors would need a little bit of work still. And the big thing with the Warriors was packaging LeBron James with another star player. And that’s when you would get LeBron James’ attention. That’s the idea,” he said.
“And that’s when the Warriors went into free agency. Can we start a Big Four? Steph, Draymond, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. We know the relationship between AD and LeBron goes deep. And so, are you able to get that done? And so far, we’re 16 days into July. There’s been no real traction in any trade conversations the Warriors have on AD or any other star, which then leads me to believe that they are behind.”
LeBron James Keeps Teams Waiting
James reportedly is in no hurry to make a call, something he alluded to during his interaction with fans and media at Fanatics Fest on Thursday. Charania added that James is unlikely to make a decision this week.
“I don’t know if I’m holding my breath for an announcement this week,” Charania reported on Thursday. “LeBron has had multiple owners/GMs, about three or five of them, that have sent voice memos to him via Rich Paul.”
The 41-year-old veteran hinted that could sign with an Eastern Conference team at Fanatics Fest, but did not provide a definitive answer.
“Looking forward to what’s next as I wind down the final stages of my journey,” said the four-time NBA champion.
“Wherever I land in the fall, hopefully, you know, if you’re a ride-or-die LeBron fan, you’ve been down with me since Day 1. Hopefully, you ride with me here. If you’re a ride-or-die LeBron hater, that’s what you do anyway, so looking forward to seeing you as well. But it’s going to be pretty fun.
“It’s going to be pretty fun wherever I land. I’m going to do what I do best.”
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