Not too long ago, there was plenty of buzz about the possibility of LeBron James moving to another team this offseason. One ball club that often came up in LBJ trade chatter was the Golden State Warriors, a team that James battled in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years.
According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Warriors’ interest in James goes beyond their overtures to the LA Lakers superstar this summer. Siegel claims that Golden State already had their eyes set on James over a year ago.
“Some clarity on the notion of the Warriors pursuing LeBron James: This has been the case since their hard push before the ’24 deadline. They then checked in at start of this offseason, and then again after the player option. Nothing has changed, and Lakers aren’t interested,” Siegel tweeted on Friday.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
If Siegel's report is true, that would mean that the Warriors had been looking to land James in a particularly beleaguered 2023-24 season, in which the team struggled to keep up with a stacked Western Conference.
Posting a 46-36 record, Golden State finished that season as the 10th seed but ended up losing to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament. A year later, the Warriors made it through the play-in and went as far as the second round, where they were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James, meanwhile, has not fared much better in the postseason, as his Lakers have been eliminated in the first round two years in a row. The four-time NBA champion has kept himself in great shape, but in the tail end of his career, a tandem with his good friends Steph Curry and Draymond Green remains a "what if."
"A weekend was had": LeBron James posts pics of summer getaway with Warriors star and other buddies
For what it's worth, James went on Instagram earlier this week to post a series of pictures showing a weekend getaway. In these pictures, he is shown playing golf and looking sharply dressed with Warriors star Green and former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kevin Love, among other friends.
"Great people always = Great Times & Vibes no matter where you are! A weekend was had! Until next time," James wrote in his IG post's caption.
Though James has been seen in multiple offseason pics with Green, there are still no signs of an impending on-court union between the two former champions, whether in the Bay Area or in Tinseltown.
Los Angeles Lakers Fan? Check out the latest Lakers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.