The Golden State Warriors have made it clear they are intent on doing whatever they can to maximize their championship window with Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr this offseason. As of late, that has led them to make a heavy push to sign the legendary LeBron James in free agency.
James is taking his time when it comes to deciding on his NBA future, but the Warriors remain in the thick of the race to bring him to town. On Thursday, Golden State re-emerged as the betting favorite to sign James, but NBA insider Shams Charania issued a brutal update on the team’s pursuit of the future Hall of Famer that may dash those hopes.
Warriors Not the Frontrunner to Sign LeBron James
Right before the start of free agency, James let the Los Angeles Lakers know he would not be re-signing with them, opening the floodgates for teams to begin pursuing him. Right away, the Warriors emerged as a suitor, with rumors suggesting they wanted to also trade for Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards and reunite him with James.
The Wizards blew up that plan by making it clear they weren’t trading Davis, and that seemingly dealt Golden State an insurmountable obstacle in its quest to sign James. However, both Curry and Draymond Green are close friends with James, and they have both been making a hard push for him to sign with the Dubs.
The problem is that there are several other noteworthy suitors for James’ services, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers leading the pack. So while Golden State is leading the way, at least on the surface, Charania revealed that the front office probably needs to make another move or two in order to convince James that it can win a championship.
“The issue with LeBron James, when you look at that team with the Warriors, is, if he’s there, is that team good enough? … The Warriors would need a little bit of work still,” Charania admitted on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “They are, to my knowledge, behind other teams, such as a Miami, a Cleveland, a Philadelphia.”
What Can the Warriors Do to Convince LeBron James to Sign with Them?
GettyLeBron James gestures during a Los Angeles Lakers game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors’ roster needs help beyond James, but the problem is that much of the league is waiting to see what he ends up doing in free agency. That makes it tough to find any sort of immediate upgrade that can tilt the scales in their favor, and it doesn’t seem like Golden State is particularly close to making the sort of trade or signing that would radically change James’ perspective on the situation.
The possibility of teaming up with Curry and Green certainly is enticing for James, but if that was enough for him, he probably would have already signed with Golden State. The roster needs more help, but it remains to be seen if it can make the sort of moves that would quench James’ thirst, which leaves the team in a precarious position as he nears a decision on which team he will join next.
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