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The Warriors can’t waste another season for Steph Curry.
They need to go all in on trying to acquire LeBron James, which means they need to get Anthony Davis.
LeBron James is considering several teams, but the Warriors might land him if they also add Anthony Davis. Getty ImagesJames reportedly would be much more interested in going to Golden State if they acquire Davis, whom he played alongside on the Lakers for 5 ½ seasons, winning a championship in 2020.
The Warriors need to make it happen.
Free agency is flying past them, and they virtually have the same roster they had last season. Curry will turn 39 during the upcoming season. Their only chance to compete for another championship is adding James — and Davis — to their roster.
Acquiring Davis would mean trading Jimmy Butler for salary-matching purposes. It would mean they’d have to give up multiple first-round picks and pick swaps. It would mean they’d dent their future.
But it would also mean the sunset of Curry’s career wouldn’t be wasted.
Curry, who’s widely considered the greatest shooter of all time, is still a top-10 player. The Warriors need to give him a real chance to win his fifth ring. They need to take some risks.
They kept the band together by re-signing longtime coach Steve Kerr. Now they have to give the band a chance to really sing.
For the Warriors, acquiring the oft-injured Davis is widely considered foolish around the league.
He’s 33 years old. He appeared in just 20 games last season for the Mavericks before being traded to the Wizards in February. His contract is worth $58 million this season and a nearly $63 million player option for 2027-28. In other words, it’s gigantic.
But what other option do the Warriors have to vastly improve their roster and compete for a title?
As for giving up first-round picks, yes, that’s a tough pill to swallow. But it’s the only way they can complete this blockbuster deal. Not pulling the trigger means they’re going to tread water for another season. It means mediocrity.
Other teams are taking big risks.
Look at what the Lakers paid for Walker Kessler: $130 million over four years AND two first-round picks and two swaps. Was that a great deal? No way. Was it worth it for them to give Luka Doncic his dream center and a shot at competing in the West? Clearly.
As currently constructed, there’s no way the Warriors can get past the elite teams in the West. If they convinced James to come aboard and traded for Davis, they’d have a shot.
Even though James will turn 42 next season, he’s still capable of being the best player on the court on any given night. Last season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He pretty much single-handedly carried the Lakers past the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
James changes the Warriors’ ceiling. He’d bring so much business to The Bay. Imagine how much people would pay to watch James and Curry share the court? They’d be the hottest ticket in the league.
As for Davis, he’s vastly underrated here.
Let’s not forget that when Davis is healthy, he’s an absolute force on both ends of the court. He’s a 10-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive Team selection and a three-time league leader in blocks.
He arguably should’ve won a Defensive Player of the Year award as well.
Davis’ stock plummeted when the Lakers traded him to the Mavericks for Doncic in February 2025. Since then, he has been injury-riddled. He has been the butt of jokes.
Next season, Davis is going to be out for revenge, especially if you put him alongside James, Curry and defensive wizard Draymond Green. If each of those guys believed they had a real shot to win, they’d each elevate their games. They’d be dangerous.
Davis would help boost the Warriors, especially if he reunites with LeBron James. Getty ImagesThe Warriors must go all in.
And they must act fast.
It’s clear the Warriors are falling out of the James sweepstakes.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, is a mastermind at controlling narratives. In an episode of his “Game Over” podcast that aired Friday, he showed a whiteboard that listed the 10 teams that could land James in free agency.
The Warriors were tucked into the top left corner of the board as though they were an afterthought, while the 76ers, Heat, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Cavaliers were featured front and center.
When asked if the Warriors’ placement on the board meant something, Paul balked.
“You can think whatever you think,” Paul said. “This is my board. You decide what you want to think.”
It was cryptic. It was confusing.
But above all else, it was a warning.
If the Warriors want to compete, they need to take a big risk.
They need to get Davis so they can get James.
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