The Golden State Warriors were a prime landing spot for both Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton, but let each player sign elsewhere in free agency in the hopes of inking LeBron James to a deal.
Nick Friedell of The Athletic explained the thinking behind the Dubs’ decision with regards to Simons on Sunday, July 4.
“If the Warriors signed Simons for the money the Sixers paid him, they would have likely taken themselves out of contention for James,” Friedell wrote.
Anfernee Simons Was Part of Potential Warriors’ Strategy to Surround Steph Curry With More On-Ball Scoring
GettyAnfernee Simons of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simons entered unrestricted free agency this summer following the completion of a four-year, $100 million deal he inked with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2022.
Now 27 years old and two seasons removed from a career-high average of 22.6 points per game in 34.4 minutes nightly, Simons inked a two-year deal worth a little north of $12 million to join Philadelphia.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line” reported on June 28 the Warriors’ interest in both Simons and Sexton as score-first options to stagger alongside Steph Curry and keep backcourt scoring a fruitful part of Golden State’s offensive attack for essentially 48 minutes per contest.
“Sources say that Golden State is among the teams expected to pursue veteran big man Jock Landale in addition to scoring guards such as Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton,” Stein and Fischer wrote. “It’s believed that the Warriors want another guard in that mold to bolster Golden State’s bench scoring when Stephen Curry is resting … or to play alongside Curry and allow him more freedom to roam off the ball.”
Warriors’ Grand Plan of Signing LeBron James, Trading for Anthony Davis Still Long Way Off
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Simons made sense for Golden State before James parted ways with the Los Angeles Lakers and became the NBA’s highest-profile free agent.
The Warriors clearly pivoted immediately to a plan to ink James, evidenced by Draymond Green’s call to opt out of the final year of his contract in 2026-27 (worth just shy of $28 million), which created the financial flexibility for the team to offer James $15.1 million on a one-year deal at the non-taxpayer’s full midlevel exception.
In the meantime, the Dubs re-signed center Kristaps Porzingis for the next two years at $40 million total and should be able to add James while also bringing back Green on a multiyear deal worth more than the $28 million he gave up, but which pays him at a lower annual average salary.
It’s a good plan, and one that potentially opens up a trade with the Washington Wizards for Anthony Davis to create by far the oldest quote, unquote super team in league history in the Bay Area.
However, doing a Davis deal will require a trade of Jimmy Butler that also probably has to include all three of Golden State’s tradable first-round picks, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, which is a king’s ransom for a player with Davis’s extensive injury history.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, also recently noted that his client is seriously considering interest from 10 teams across the league. The Warriors number among that group, but Stein reported Saturday that the growing sentiment around the NBA is now that the Cleveland Cavaliers, not Golden State, are the frontrunners for James.
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