US media reports: Warriors to pursue free agent LeBron James this summer! Willing to give up Butler

Today, Lakers Daily published an article reporting the Warriors' pursuit of James, titled "Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to launch a full-court recruitment of LeBron James once free agency begins."

The translated article is as follows:

James will enter the market as a completely unrestricted free agent for the first time after this season concludes (his first since 2018). The NBA's all-time leading scorer shares a close personal bond with Curry and Green, and he and Green are both clients of agent Rich Paul from Klutch Sports Group.

The Warriors attempted to trade for James from the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2023-24 season. The 41-year-old James has publicly expressed in the past his strong desire to play alongside Curry and Green. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, James and Curry played together for Team USA, winning a gold medal under the coaching of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

It remains unclear whether James will retire after this season. The future Hall of Famer will turn 42 this December and has played many years since entering the league in 2003.

Sources indicate that most within NBA circles expect that if James does not retire, he will likely either re-sign with the Lakers or join the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, given his close relationship with Curry and Green, the possibility of him joining the Warriors cannot be ruled out.

Furthermore, the flight between San Francisco and Los Angeles takes only about an hour and a half. James's wife and daughter currently reside in Los Angeles. Joining the Warriors would allow him to leave the Lakers while remaining relatively close to his family—and the Lakers are prepared to move on from the "LeBron era," fully building around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.

Sources note that Warriors forward Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in January, ending his season, and it is currently uncertain if he will return next season. This is also a reason the Warriors plan to pursue James in the offseason, as the team needs a starting forward.

James's destination this offseason is highly anticipated. If the four-time Finals MVP does not retire, the Lakers, Warriors, and Cavaliers will be the three most watched potential teams.

The above is the full translation of this report.

Additionally, NBA reporter Sam Amico discussed James's potential destination on a show today, stating: "I genuinely think him returning to the Lakers would surprise me more than him going to the Cavaliers. I believe the other team that could potentially sign him is the Warriors, because he was teammates with Curry on Team USA, and reportedly, the Warriors have tried to trade for him several times. I just think if he wants a farewell tour, the Cavaliers really have a good chance to bring him back."

There is considerable history between James and the Warriors. From 2015 to 2018, they faced each other four times in the Finals, with James winning one championship during that span. At the time, the Warriors were considered James's arch-rival.

Currently, James performs exceptionally well against the Warriors. In his last 14 games versus Golden State, he has averaged 31.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 10 assists per game, with shooting splits of 52% from the field, 46.3% from three-point range, and 81% from the free-throw line, all above his season averages.

James's next team will likely be one of three: the Cavaliers, Lakers, or Warriors. Presumably, everyone already has their preferred answer in mind. Now we await LeBron's final decision this summer.