Golden State has reportedly been seeking to create one more solid title run for their star future Hall of Famer


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The Golden State Warriors have been among the more aggressive teams of the past several transaction cycles in search of star power to pair with the aging Stephen Curry. They were linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard at the trade deadline. They've held rumored interest in LeBron James as a free agent, and they tried to trade for him back in 2024. Now, according to Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor, they have their sights set beyond just James, but on his former teammate Anthony Davis as well.

The basic premise here would be that Golden State would execute some sort of trade centered around Jimmy Butler and perhaps draft capital going to the Washington Wizards for Davis. The Warriors would then attempt to sign James, bringing together the cores of both their own roster and the Los Angeles Lakers for most of the 2020s. Golden State would have one of the oldest starting lineups in the NBA, but one stuffed to the brim with Hall of Fame talent.

There are immediately several potential hurdles to a James-Davis reunion featuring Curry, so let's run through them quickly:

o While Davis has not exactly seemed eager to play for the Wizards next season, it is not clear if Washington is even willing to trade him. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins even hinted at a contract extension when he appeared on the broadcast of the second round of the NBA Draft. "We'll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that," he said.

o Even if Washington is open to moving Davis, it is not clear if the Wizards would be interested in taking Butler back in a trade. He is recovering from a torn ACL, and while he is expected to return during the season, he probably won't be ready early on, and there's no telling how the 36-year-old will look when he makes it back. The Wizards just drafted AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall and have a number of other young forwards who need minutes, so Butler would be entering a logjam in Washington.

o Golden State may not be the only party interested in Davis if he is moved. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported that the Portland Trail Blazers could view Davis as a possible Plan B should they fail in their pursuit of Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.

o On the James front, Golden State's ability to offer him a meaningful salary is dependent on a number of other moves. After re-signing Al Horford earlier this week, the Warriors are around $20 million below the first apron assuming Draymond Green picks up his $27.7 million player option. The mid-level exception creates a hard cap at that first apron figure, and it starts at around $15 million, but the Warriors currently only have 10 players under contract, so filling out the roster with James at that price would be difficult. The Warriors are also expected to retain Kristaps Porzi??is at center, which will further cut into their flexibility. They could clear extra money through a trade, or Green could decline his player option and re-sign at a lower figure, but for now, figuring out how the Warriors would afford everyone is tricky.

Put all of this together and the Warriors are fighting an uphill battle in uniting James, Davis and Curry. Still, we're talking about the team that once won 73 games and convinced Kevin Durant to sign with them after beating the then Oklahoma City Thunder star in the Western Conference Finals. Golden State has worked roster-building miracles before, and with James and Davis both past their primes, both are probably about as gettable as they've ever been.

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