The Golden State Warriors reportedly chose not to pursue a trade for Jaylen Brown aggressively, a decision that may have altered the course of their 2026 offseason and, potentially, the LeBron James sweepstakes.
Speaking on his podcast, Bill Simmons said the Warriors never made a serious push after initial discussions with the Boston Celtics.
“Why didn’t they trade for Jaylen Brown? They weren’t interested in him. They weren’t interested,” Simmons said. “They didn’t even counter. When the Celtics were canvassing the league doing the Jaylen fire sale, Warriors by all accounts, both sides, just not interested for Jimmy Butler’s expiring and some picks. And the irony is if they do that, I think LeBron goes there, right?”
Simmons’ comments differ from earlier reports suggesting Golden State attempted to acquire Brown but was rebuffed by Boston. According to Simmons, the Warriors declined to improve their proposal after the Celtics gauged the market, effectively ending any realistic negotiations.
Brown ultimately landed with the Philadelphia 76ers in one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Philadelphia acquired the five-time All-Star in exchange for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick (with pick-swap protection), a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and second-round selections in 2028 and 2030. The trade officially ended Brown’s decade-long run with the Celtics and paired him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The ripple effects extended beyond Boston and Philadelphia. Golden State entered the offseason with the goal of adding another superstar next to Stephen Curry, and LeBron James quickly became its top free-agent target. The Warriors created salary flexibility by allowing players to leave, declining to match Quinten Post’s offer sheet, and seeing Draymond Green opt out of his contract as part of a cap-management strategy.
That pursuit ultimately fell short. James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers after Philadelphia assembled a championship-caliber core featuring Brown, Embiid and Maxey. Golden State also explored trades for Anthony Davis and Trey Murphy III, but neither negotiation resulted in a deal.
Simmons speculated that acquiring Brown could have changed James’ decision.
“The irony is if they do that, I think LeBron goes there,” Simmons said, suggesting that a Curry-Brown foundation may have been enough to convince James to choose Golden State instead of Philadelphia.
Instead, the Warriors enter the 2026-27 season without either superstar addition. The franchise has focused on retaining key veterans, re-signing head coach Steve Kerr, bringing back Kristaps Porzingis and De’Anthony Melton, and re-signing Al Horford after finishing 37-45 last season. Stephen Curry is also eligible for a veteran extension later this summer.
