Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James should have multiple options this summer to continue his playing career if he so desires, and one familiar Western Conference foe has already emerged as serious competition for his services.
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are poised to make a strong push for James heading into his age-42 campaign, per a report from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints on Thursday, June 4.
“League sources telling us at ClutchPoints that the Warriors are very much open to pursuing LeBron James and they plan to do so this offseason in free agency,” Siegel said. “That same source told us that Steph is planning on meeting and talking with LeBron about potentially joining the Warriors over the course of the next few weeks leading up to free agency.”
LeBron James Still Playing Like Max Player, Will Struggle to Find Max Money From Contending Team
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James will be an unrestricted free agent shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Finals if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Lakers before then.
According to Kalshi, the Warriors have an 11 percent chance of landing James for the 2026-27 campaign as of Thursday.
An interesting element of James’ free agency is that while he proved himself a star player both last season and during the playoffs — and media members as well as executives around the league continue to view him as a max player (or close to it) in a vacuum — he could have a tough time getting big money on the open market.
“Can the Lakers afford to bring back James on a $50 million salary and still be in a position to bolster their roster? When factoring in a new contract for Austin Reaves, that answer is a resounding no,” Bobby Marks of ESPN wrote in May. “As for suitors outside of the Lakers, teams such as Cleveland, Denver, Golden State and New York can offer only the $3.9 million veterans minimum.”
Warriors’ Play for LeBron James About Keeping Steph Curry Happy
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Marks continued, saying he would offer James a $30 million deal for the upcoming campaign and include a no-trade clause. The Lakers could make that offer, but would struggle to meaningfully add to the roster even at that number if they also sign Reaves to a monster deal that could come in at $40 million-plus annually.
A couple of non-contending organizations with considerable salary cap space, like the Brooklyn Nets, could also pay James, but he presumably won’t pursue a situation where winning on a meaningful scale is unlikely.
A workaround for that, which would also allow the Lakers to benefit from James getting a better deal, is a sign-and-trade option. Los Angeles could theoretically ink James to a short-term contract at a number like $15 million or $30 million for 2026-27, then flip him to a team like Golden State and get an asset of similar value back in return.
The other option for L.A., assuming they don’t re-sign James, is to watch him leave this summer for nothing.
There are also personnel decisions/salary cap maneuvers the Warriors could theoretically make to clear a path for James to sign in free agency. On Thursday, a rumor surfaced that Golden State is looking at a two-year contract worth $30 million for James that includes a player option on the second season.
“They’re talking about LeBron taking two years for $30 million with a player option,” 95.7 The Game posted to its X account. “If that is true, in fact, it still is all-in for Steph.”
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