Warriors eye LeBron James and Anthony Davis in blockbuster offseason push

Draymond Green’s decision to decline his $27.7 million player option gave the Golden State Warriors their clearest financial opening yet to chase LeBron James, while a move for Anthony Davis would demand a far harder trade construction. With free agency opening Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Golden State is testing whether one last veteran swing can be built around Stephen Curry before the roster and salary cap tighten further.

Green’s opt-out does not automatically mean he is leaving the Bay Area. The move is being viewed as a way to create flexibility, and Green still has a path to return on a cheaper deal if the Warriors need him to stay in place for a bigger move. That flexibility matters because the James pursuit is being framed as the cleaner of the two targets, a free-agent path that could be paired with a trade market built around Davis.

The Davis angle is much more complicated. Any serious deal would likely require Jimmy Butler, who is on an expiring $57 million contract while recovering from a torn ACL, along with draft capital. That is the kind of sacrifice that forces a front office to decide whether it is buying one last title shot or giving away too much of the present to keep the chase alive. The idea of Davis coming west is being sold as part of the pitch to draw James, but it remains the more difficult move under the rules of the market.

Golden State’s interest also reflects how aggressively the franchise has tried to keep Curry’s championship window open. The Warriors have already been linked to, or pursued, Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard without landing those stars. That history has left the organization in the same place again, hunting for one monumental move rather than easing into a rebuild. The question now is whether the cap gymnastics, the Butler contract and Green’s decision can produce more than another round of heavyweight speculation.