When NBA free agency opened earlier this month, the Warriors widely were viewed as one of the premier contenders to land superstar free agent LeBron James.However, as more time has elapsed in the James sweepstakes, Golden State seems to have less momentum. Not only have there been talks of them pivoting to a pursuit of DeMar DeRozan, but ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed on Tuesday’s “Stephen A. Smith Show” that they are no longer among the teams in the mix for the 21-time All-NBA selection.
“The teams that keep popping up for me when I’m talking to teams are Cleveland, Miami and Philly,” Charania said. “It was Golden State at various points, and it still could. LeBron is taking a period of time here that has now allowed the Warriors, if they want to engage the Wizards on an Anthony Davis trade, to bring LeBron and AD as a package deal. They have a window for that, but the price is going to be steep.” What might that price be? Well, it would center around Golden State star Jimmy Butler, and it could also impact the Warriors’ ability to build through the draft for the foreseeable future.