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The Warriors have a plan in place. Whether or not this plan comes to fruition is another topic altogether.
If things do in fact go right for Golden State this summer, they could end up with one or both of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They've creatively opened up pathways to add both players after getting Draymond Green to opt out of his $27.7 million contract. Green will probably be back on a longer-term deal, and the team now has flexibility to offer LeBron a $15 million contract.
Part of the calculus for LeBron agreeing to that deal is that he would join a competitive team. How good would a core alongside the aging Curry and Green be?
MORE: How Draymond Green's contract negotiations opened the door for LeBron James and Anthony Davis
Warriors depth chart with LeBron James
The Warriors would need to dump Moses Moody to another team in order to give LeBron that $15 million deal. Moody will be out for at least part of the year as he recovers from a knee injury, so their depth wouldn't be impacted too severely by that loss. He is still a young player and evolved into a true 3-and-D guy last year for Golden State once he got consistent minutes.
After the beginning of free agency, here's what a Warriors depth chart would look like with LeBron added to the team.
PG: Stephen Curry | De'Anthony Melton
SG: Jimmy Butler | Brandin Podziemski
SF: LeBron James | Gui Santos | Gary Payton II
PF: Draymond Green | Yaxel Lendeborg
C: Kristaps Porzingis | Al Horford
The Warriors wouldn't be getting Butler back in the lineup until at least halfway through the season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in January of 2026. If the 36-year-old could recover to his pre-injury form in time for the playoffs, then that is a devastating starting lineup on paper.
Injuries would ultimately determine how far this group goes. Curry has dealt with knee issues, LeBron had sciatica and foot issues, and Porzingis' POTS diagnosis limited him to just 32 games.
None of those problems are going away.
The Warriors don't have great depth to cover for when those starters inevitably miss games here and there. Horford is a capable backup center. Lendeborg is as NBA-ready as a rookie can be, but still a rookie who will be playing for a coach who famously does not like playing rookies. The guard spots are full of capable veterans, but they're not replacing Curry's production.
That all adds up to a team that should easily surpass last year's 37-win total but would still comfortably be behind the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets bare minimum. If Curry and LeBron could eke out 65 games each and Butler plays a quarter of the regular season, then the Warriors would be in the mid-to-high 40's in regular season wins according to my win projection model.
That doesn't sound all that impressive, but this team would have another gear that they could get to in the playoffs. They wouldn't be able to bring it every night at their respective ages, but LeBron and Curry showed how they could dial it up together as teammates on the 2024 Olympic team. The two work well off each other, and Steve Kerr already knows how to get the most out of them after coaching them during that Gold medal run where he used them in inverted pick-and-rolls for each other.
Those Warriors wouldn't be championship contenders, and shaky depth would keep them to a modest regular season win total. But they could make some serious noise in the playoffs and would absolutely be capable of winning one or two rounds.
Warriors depth chart with LeBron James and Anthony Davis
The Warriors have also been linked to Davis via trade. Butler would be the most likely outgoing salary in that deal, along with draft assets. That would change the depth chart to the following:
PG: Stephen Curry | De'Anthony Melton
SG: Brandin Podziemski | Will Richard
SF: LeBron James | Gui Santos | Gary Payton II
PF: Draymond Green | Al Horford | Yaxel Lendeborg
C: Anthony Davis | Kristaps Porzingis
Golden State would have a giant starting lineup in this scenario, and Porzingis would be the natural candidate to come off the bench.
Davis is another member of that 2024 Team USA roster that won Gold. We have seen in snippets how the trio of LeBron, Curry, and Davis would work. It certainly looked promising during that Olympic run. And LeBron and Davis obviously have a ton of history, having played in 296 games together and winning a championship with the Lakers in 2020.
This would be a slow team with rough perimeter defense, but they'd have an awesome frontcourt that would completely shut down the paint with Davis and Green. Those two would also be rough as far as spacing goes, possibly necessitating Green coming off the bench.
The talent upgrade would be worth it. Davis hasn't been healthy much, but he's still an All-Star talent when he's on the floor. Exchanging him for a quarter-season of Butler would bump the team's win total by about four wins in my model, getting them into 50-win territory.
Davis would also raise their playoff ceiling considerably. While Porzingis is a terrific rim protector, Davis offers much more versatility. The Warriors would have the ability to adjust to different playoff styles. If they were fully healthy entering the playoffs, then this is a team that could have a puncher's chance at making a Conference Finals or beyond.
Whether that dream is appealing enough to attract LeBron is anyone's guess. But it would be a nice ending to a storybook career and the Warriors' once-invincible dynasty.
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