If LeBron James leaves the Los Angeles Lakers this summer in free agency, the consensus is that it will be for the Cavaliers. The Knicks, understandably, are also a popular potential destination. As Zach Lowe pointed out on his podcast, though, the Warriors are up there in the conversation.
"Not to pile intrigue atop intrigue, but they are one of the only plausible LeBron alternatives for next season. It will be TBD what they have to offer. It could be the midlevel, it could be the mini-midlevel. There could be all sorts of sign-and-trade possibilities potentially."
If LeBron left LA for San Francisco, it wouldn't be all that shocking, but it'd still be surprising. You'd think if he were to leave the Lakers, it'd be for a team that gives him a better chance to be part of a title run. The Warriors are no longer that team, and they haven't been for a while.
Still, there are pros from LeBron's perspective about making the switch to Golden State, with the biggest, of course, being that it'd allow him to team up with Steph Curry outside of the Olympics. It also wouldn't require him to move across the country, albeit temporarily. He might not have an interest in playing for the Lakers beyond this season, but LA is home for him and his family.
LeBron could have interest in joining Warriors this offseason
Golden State has been in desperation mode trying to win another title with Curry, which will only ramp up this summer after how this season has gone. If LeBron makes it known he no longer wants to be with the Lakers, then you can expect the Warriors to reach out. They did try to trade for him in 2024, but LA and the superstar weren't interested. A lot has changed for him since then, though.
As Lowe noted, perhaps LeBron may not be all that into returning to Cleveland, depending on how things go for the Cavaliers in the playoffs. Another early playoff exit could push the organization to start to tear the roster apart, especially if Donovan Mitchell asks out.
Keep in mind that this is all speculation. Everyone has been trying to get into LeBron's mind to see if A. He is seriously contemplating retirement and B. If he wants to play at least one more season, where will that be? It will still be a few months before we get the answer to that question.
We know that Rob Pelinka said the Lakers would "love" to have LeBron around for another season, but that feeling may not be reciprocated if the organization still feels that way. No one can definitively say he won't retire in Los Angeles, but it keeps feeling like we're moving farther away from that possibility.
Are we moving closer toward him moving to the Bay? Maybe. It would be epic to see LeBron and Steph to suit up for the same NBA team. Even if you're rooting for him to stay in LA, you can't deny that.