The Golden State Warriors are planning a pursuit of LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis via trade this week, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, opening up the flexibility for such a possibility after Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option Monday morning.
Green had until 5 p.m. ET to decide on the option. For weeks, team and league sources indicated that Green would turn down the one-year financial guarantee and the Warriors would work with him on a new contract — lowering his salary for next season — only if it freed up the immediate flexibility for Golden State to secure a significant roster upgrade.
Hours ahead of the option deadline, Green’s decline is a blaring indication that the franchise has something brewing and signals a shift in his and the franchise’s belief in what they can possibly pull off this summer.
Green, James and Davis are represented by the same agent — Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
Team sources have indicated for weeks a planned pursuit of James via free agency, but early intel told them that James was likely to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Negotiations with Los Angeles in the lead-up to Tuesday’s free agency, however, have gone nowhere, appearing to crack open the door.
The Warriors now have the flexibility to offer James the full $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, regardless of any trade pursuit of Davis with the Washington Wizards. League sources believe any Davis hunt in the coming days is an extra motivational tactic to lure James. The two won a championship together in 2020 with the Lakers and have remained close friends.
To acquire Davis, the Warriors’ matching salary would almost assuredly have to include superstar wing Jimmy Butler, who is nearly four months removed from ACL surgery. He is making an expiring $56.8 million next season. Davis is making $58.4 million in 2026-27 and has a $62.7 million player option for the following season.
Dating back to the February trade deadline, the Warriors have relayed to Butler behind the scenes that they prefer and plan to keep him.
“You talking about being traded?” Butler told ESPN last week. “It wouldn’t be the first time. [But] it’s good to know that I’m wanted here. If I get traded, I get traded. Their job is to win. Can I help them do that? Yes. If they feel like somebody else can help them do that on a quicker timetable than whenever I come back, then they got to go and do that, but as of right now, I’m here.”
Butler’s longtime agent, Bernie Lee, said the Warriors have maintained that they have no intention of moving Butler.
“I don’t want to get into a constant cycle of responding to this stuff,” Lee said. “But I will say the Warriors — from ownership to the front office to the coaches and medical staff — have been resolute in their plan to support Jimmy through his rehab. … That remains true today as I respond to you.”
