Report: Warriors eye James and Davis! First trade Butler + picks for Davis, then go all-in to recruit James

On June 29 Beijing time, according to renowned reporter O'Connor, the Warriors are interested in acquiring both Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Here is the detailed report—

Every aging dynasty reaches a point where their promotional posters start featuring veteran stars, relying on nostalgia to draw attention. Right now, that seems to be the Golden State Warriors' approach this offseason.

Multiple league sources have revealed that the Warriors plan to first acquire Wizards big man Anthony Davis via trade, then sign Lakers free agent forward LeBron James.

To trade for Davis, the centerpiece of the package must be Jimmy Butler. Butler has one year left on his contract at $57 million, and he is currently recovering from an ACL tear. Additionally, the Warriors must give up draft assets: they hold two future first-round picks and four first-round pick swaps, which can be used to build the trade package.

Sources say the Warriors hope that after acquiring Davis, they can successfully recruit James to leave Los Angeles for the Bay Area when free agency opens on July 1. The pitch is straightforward: reunite with his former teammate Davis, team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, play under Steve Kerr, and have a group of legends join forces for one more championship.

ESPN's Shams reported last week that the Lakers have not yet offered James a contract extension. Free agency opens this week. If James chooses to continue playing and staying with the Lakers seems unlikely, he could only join another team via the mid-level exception, which is slightly over $15 million. However, Rich Paul's Klutch Sports agency said that 10 to 12 teams have already contacted them inquiring about James this summer, and a sign-and-trade is also possible.

The Warriors themselves hold strong appeal. On the 2024 U.S. men's basketball team, James, Curry, Davis, and Kerr won an Olympic gold medal together, and their on-court chemistry was evident. James once admitted that playing with Curry is exceptionally easy because both understand the right way to play basketball.

Simply put, the Warriors want to assemble a "suicide squad" legendary lineup, gathering veteran stars for one final championship push in their careers.

However, the likelihood of this trade materializing is extremely slim.

The Wizards previously signed Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million max extension, and the team's management has signaled that they want to keep Davis. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins stated during a draft broadcast: "Davis wants to stay, and we want to keep him. When the official extension window opens in mid-August, we will sit down and negotiate with him."

Davis will become eligible for a four-year, $275 million max extension on August 7. If traded, the clock on his extension eligibility resets. According to the collective bargaining agreement, Davis cannot sign that full max contract until six months after the trade is officially completed.

All of the Wizards' current moves are centered around contending now. Can a 37-year-old Butler, who is still recovering from injury, really impress the Wizards? Or do the Warriors need to bring in a third team to take Butler and then send another All-Star to the Wizards to make the trade work?

As for Butler's own stance. After attending a Warriors team event this week, Butler publicly stated he wants to stay with the Warriors, calling this the best team he has ever played for. However, reporters also asked about the possibility of him being traded.

ESPN's Slater quoted Butler from an interview: "If the team trades me, I accept it. Management's goal is to win. I can help the team win, that's beyond doubt. If management thinks someone else can bring a quicker boost in competitiveness than I can after returning from injury, then they'll make that move. But as of now, I belong to the Warriors."

These words capture the Warriors' current dilemma. Butler was the team's last major acquisition, yet he may now become the necessary trade chip for the team to have the capital to compete for a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference. The team cannot wait until January or February next year for Butler to recover before talking about championship contention; the competition must start from the opening of the new season in October. This is the root of the Warriors' desperate pursuit of James and Davis. But James may not be willing to leave the Lakers, and the Wizards are not a rebuilding team eager to dump Davis.

Furthermore, the Warriors are not the only team pursuing Davis. Last week, news broke that after failing to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Trail Blazers have shifted their target to Davis, and the team is also keeping an eye on Jaylen Brown.The Blazers hold a large number of expiring contracts and future draft picks available for trade, assets that can entice any seller of star players. Once the Wizards open trade talks for Davis, the Blazers' presence will raise the bidding bar for the Warriors.

The Warriors' previous pursuits of multiple stars have all fallen through: in recent years, the team has tried to trade for Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard. It was only after Durant declined to return that the Warriors settled for trading for Butler. Now with Butler injured, Curry's championship window is shrinking further.

This acquisition plan may remain just a front office fantasy, but it's also possible that the Warriors actually assemble the oldest average-aged superteam in NBA history. LeBron, Davis, Curry, and Draymond, playing out the twilight of their careers under Kerr, could make one more joint run at a championship.