If LeBron James doesn’t retire this summer but wants to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, there is seemingly a real chance he will join the Golden State Warriors, especially given his friendships with Warriors mainstays Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
With NBA free agency set to officially begin on Tuesday, NBA analyst and reporter Kevin O’Connor wrote in a Yahoo Sports article that the Warriors have a highly ambitious plan to try to lure James to the San Francisco Bay Area. This plan involves trading for one of James’ former championship teammates.
“The Warriors are attempting to trade for Wizards big Anthony Davis and then sign Lakers free-agent forward LeBron James, according to multiple league sources,” O’Connor wrote.
“A trade for Davis would have to include Jimmy Butler, who is on an expiring $57 million contract while recovering from a torn ACL. The Warriors would also have to include draft capital — they have two future firsts and four first-round swaps to work with in any deal.
“Sources say the Warriors hope adding Davis would help lure LeBron from Los Angeles to the Bay Area once free agency officially opens Tuesday. The pitch would be simple: reunite with AD, team up with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, play for Steve Kerr, and chase one more championship with a roster of legends.”
Davis, of course, was traded to the Lakers in 2019, and he and James instantly led L.A. to the NBA championship in their first season together. Davis was then sent away to the Dallas Mavericks last February in the deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Purple and Gold.
He was ultimately traded to the Washington Wizards midway through this season. While there have been some whispers that perhaps the Wizards, who just drafted AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, may want to get rid of Davis, general manager Will Dawkins said just days ago that Davis wants to be in the nation’s capital.
Pulling off a trade for Davis seems highly unlikely for the Warriors for multiple reasons. He will get paid $58.5 million next season, and he will turn 34 years of age next March. Golden State already has a highly aged roster, and adding Davis, who has suffered from numerous injuries since leaving L.A., and the 41-year-old James won’t exactly make them any younger.
It also seems doubtful that Butler, who will turn 37 in September, will want to play for a rebuilding Wizards squad, especially after reaching the NBA Finals twice in recent years with the Miami Heat.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Warriors are reportedly targeting Anthony Davis to lure LeBron James
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
