New Warriors Rumors on How Potential LeBron James Contract Impacts Anthony Davis Trade Pursuit

Whether the Golden State Warriors decide to pursue Anthony Davis could be dependent on LeBron James' free agency decision.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Tuesday that the Warriors want James to commit to Golden State before trying to trade for the Washington Wizards' big man.

"This is a sequencing issue," Shelburne said. "They would want a commitment from LeBron James before they would go make a move for somebody like Anthony Davis."

James informed the Lakers on Tuesday that he does not plan to return for the 2026-27 season after eight years in Los Angeles. The Warriors jumped out as an immediate landing spot for James, especially given recent rumors about the Dubs' interest in Davis.

Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week that Golden State hoped to reunite James and Davis, pairing them alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. James and Davis, of course, brought Los Angeles a championship in 2020.

But the Warriors' plan to acquire Davis might be out of their control. ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported Tuesday that the Wizards are not interested in trading Davis and aren't listening to trade offers for him.

It makes sense that Washington would want to keep Davis around for at least the 2026-27 campaign. The pairing of him and Trae Young has yet to get any run time, and the Wizards likely want to see how those two, plus No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, work together.

The Athletic's Sam Amick also reported that the "Warriors are now signaling that Davis isn't in their plans."

It's unclear whether having Davis in Golden State would influence James' free agency decision.

Along with the Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat have emerged as potential landing spots for the four-time MVP. The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly have interest as well.

The list of interest teams likely doesn't end there. James' agent, Rich Paul, said earlier this month that 10-12 teams have already reached out about signing James.

James is far from the best version of himself, but even at 41 years old, he's finding ways to make an impact. Any team hoping to compete this year would be remiss not to at least make an effort to sign him, so he's likely going to be fielding plenty of offers in the coming weeks.