The Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of Anthony Davis has reportedly cooled, with the franchise now prioritizing its chances of landing LeBron James in free agency. According to Ramona Shelburne, Golden State wants a commitment from James before fully shifting its focus toward a potential Davis trade.
“From what I understand this is a sequencing issue. They would want a commitment from LeBron James before they would go make a move for somebody like Anthony Davis. As I understand it now there haven’t been any substantive conversations between the Warriors and the Washington Wizards about Anthony Davis…yet,” Shelburne said.
The Warriors entered the offseason exploring ways to build a championship-level roster around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, but their path to Davis has become more complicated. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Golden State is “taking the Anthony Davis thing off the front burner” because the Washington Wizards have not shown urgency to move the veteran star.
Washington now appears focused on evaluating his future, with Davis’ agent Rich Paul recently meeting with the organization about the forward’s situation and upcoming extension eligibility.
Golden State’s interest in James has intensified after the 41-year-old left the Los Angeles Lakers. James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games during the 2025-26 season while helping the Lakers finish 53-29 and reach the Western Conference semifinals.
A move to Golden State would reunite James with Curry and Green after years of high-profile battles and Olympic success together. The Warriors finished 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs, creating urgency to maximize the remaining prime years of Curry, who averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 three-pointers per game.
The financial side remains difficult. Golden State created flexibility after Green declined his $27.7 million player option, but the team’s agreement with Kristaps Porzingis added another major salary commitment. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 15 games after joining the Warriors.
To sign James while retaining Green, the Warriors would likely need additional moves, including potentially sending Moses Moody into another team’s cap space. Moody averaged 12.1 points while shooting 40.1% from three-point range in 2025-26 and remains one of Golden State’s key young players.
The Warriors have also reportedly assured Butler that he will not be included in trade discussions. Butler averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 38 games after joining Golden State.
