The Golden State Warriors may want LeBron James, but they are not building their entire offseason around him.
As James continues to weigh his options for his record 24th NBA season, Golden State remains connected to the biggest free-agent stories in the league. But according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Warriors already have backup plans if the LeBron chase falls short.
“If they miss out on LeBron James, they’re gonna try to have some other plans in place to get some other players,” Siegel said on “Clutch Scoops.”
That matters for a franchise trying to maximize the final stretch of Stephen Curry’s career. And they are not operating as if Curry is looking for a way out.
“Stephen Curry is not going anywhere,” Siegel said. “All those saying he needs to go somewhere to a team that wants to contend for a championship… [The Warriors] are a team that’s committed to winning with Steph.”
Curry backed up that idea during a recent golf event, where he spoke about his connection to the Bay Area and the Warriors fan base.
“It’s just a matter of being grateful that I get to represent one fanbase for, hopefully, my entire career,” Curry said.
That should quiet speculation about Curry leaving to chase another ring elsewhere. The more realistic question is whether the Warriors can put enough around him to make one more run possible.
James would obviously be the splashiest answer.
Curry has not hidden his interest in the idea of finally playing with the player he spent years battling in the NBA Finals. Asked about James during the same golf event, Curry joked that he may be just as interested in LeBron’s golf game. Then Curry got to the basketball part.
“I’m sure we obviously would love to play together,” Curry said. “Hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision.”
A Curry-James pairing would be one of the strangest late-career twists in NBA history. But the Warriors appear to understand the risk of waiting too long for a dream scenario.
Curry is 38. The West is not waiting for the Warriors to figure it out. Golden State needs help, whether that means LeBron James or the next-best thing.
