Why Would Golden State Warriors Really Want LeBron James?

LeBron James is 41 years old. Stephen Curry is 38.

On the timeline of normal or even most star players, those ages would pretty much eliminate both from being high-level contributors on championship contenders.

But, prior to injuries effectively ending both their teams' chances of competing, that's exactly what Curry and James were.

So maybe that's why, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Dan Woike, "the [Golden State] Warriors' interest in James this summer remains serious as they eye a Steph Curry-James pairing in Golden State."

The report also lists the Cleveland Cavaliers, retirement and (in a distant third) Los Angeles Clippers as other possibilities for LeBron 2026-27, but the Warriors angle understandably generated the most interest.

It's easy to talk yourself out of it. The aforementioned ages would scare most front offices off. Growing injury histories and concerns certainly won't shrink as James and Curry get older. Expecting both to be healthy next spring or summer is bold.

Add to that the fact that 36-year-old Jimmy Butler will presumably be back and Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford are their most notable upcoming free agents (assuming Horford declines his player option), and the Warriors with LeBron may be the biggest "how can they possibly be whole for the playoffs?" team we've ever seen.

But if LeBron would be willing to sign for the mid-level exception or a veteran minimum deal, at this point, why not?

Curry averaged 26.6 points and 4.4 threes, while shooting 39.3 percent from deep this season. One of LeBron's biggest fans, Draymond Green, had a down season, but he showed he can still reach "these ones go to 11" level impact as a defender in Golden State's play-in win over the Los Angeles Clippers. And when those two were on the floor with Butler this season, the Warriors were plus-7.7 points per 100 possessions.

Adding LeBron's playmaking, savvy and experience to that mix would help. It wouldn't vault onto the same tier as the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs for 2026-27, but there's really nothing that would do that.

Much was made of the puzzle pieces in Los Angeles not really fitting together this season. And generally speaking the take, which was backed by the evidence, was that the Lakers were much better when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves played without LeBron.

What didn't get as much attention was how good and effective LeBron was without those two. He played nearly 500 minutes without them. And in those lineups, he averaged 30.7 points and 10.9 assists per 75 possessions, while posting an above-average true shooting percentage.

Now might be the moment to reiterate the fact that he's 41. That kind of production at his age is mind-blowing. And it being so good suggests he still has more to give at 42.

The film is a couple years old now, but we also have some experience with the LeBron-Curry pairing. It was dynamite at the Olympics in Paris. And during those FIBA games, LeBron didn't appear to have any problem deferring to Curry as a scorer or the go-to option in the clutch.

Altogether, the roster might look like the basketball version of Sylvester Stallone's Expendables (shout out to The Ringer's Bill Simmons for the reference), but it would give Golden State enough raw talent to be an "if everything breaks right" team.

Again, that's probably a little better than the alternative.

And beyond how or why this would work on the floor, we have to at least mention the business side of this possibility. Curry, the Warriors and LeBron all still drive ratings, revenue, jersey sales and general interest in the game.

Putting them together, even if only for a year, would create a media bonanza. Actually, the time constraint would only increase the excitement.

On a simple marketing level, it's easy to see why Golden State has interest, but it would go hand-in-hand with the basketball.