Warriors Seen as Top External Suitor for LeBron James
warriors-seen-as-top-external-suitor-for-lebron-james
Golden State has emerged as the most serious outside candidate to land LeBron James in free agency, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
League sources told the Substack reporters that the Warriors have explored ways to clear room for James by using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. One scenario previously floated involved trading for Wizards center Anthony Davis, James’s former championship teammate, but team officials are not treating the two stars as a package deal, the report says.
Any deal for Davis would likely require sending out Jimmy Butler for salary-matching purposes. Privately, the Warriors continue to signal that they prefer to keep Butler. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and head coach Steve Kerr both maintain strong relationships with the veteran forward, Stein and Fischer note.
“I don’t want to get into a constant cycle of responding to this stuff,” Butler’s agent Bernie Lee told ESPN on Monday. “But I will say the Warriors—from ownership to the front office to the coaches and medical staff—have been resolute in their plan to support Jimmy through his rehab. That remains true today as I respond to you.”
Speculation intensified after Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option. However, Stein and Fischer report that the four-time All-Star is expected to return on a new multiyear contract once the front office finalizes other roster moves.
Source: Hoops Rumors
