The Warriors hope to make one more run at a title with four-time champion Steph Curry at the helm, and his longtime running mate Draymond Green may have opened the door for Golden State to go big-game fishing.
Green was expected to opt into the final season of his four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors, worth over $27 million in 2026–27. Instead, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, he will opt out to become a free agent, with eyes on returning to Golden State (likely on a lesser deal).
The move gives the Warriors far more cap flexibility, and according to Charania, they are now looking to build a new superstar pairing. LeBron James, a close friend with Green, is also a free agent, and has made no decisions about his future. If James opts to play another NBA season, the Lakers—his team for the last eight seasons—have seemed like the most likely option for him, but Warriors rumors have persisted for a few months.
In addition to their potential pursuit of James, the Warriors have one of his former superstar teammates in their sights as well. Charania reports that the team will also pursue a trade for Wizards forward Anthony Davis, who played alongside James with Los Angeles until he was traded to the Mavericks for guard Luka Dončić ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. James and Davis teamed up to win the 2020 NBA championship with the Lakers.
Given Charania’s quick mention of the potential “Big Four,” this certainly appears to be in the works to some degree.
The opt-out comes days after the Warriors said they expect Green to pick up the $27.7M option. Instead Green delivers Golden State time and space to pursue Davis with the Wizards and convince James to join Stephen Curry, Green and his old Lakers championship teammate in the Bay. https://t.co/uNMngqPSw2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
Acquiring LeBron James and Anthony Davis would make Jimmy Butler the odd man out
At the same trade deadline that saw Davis shipped to the Mavericks, the Warriors made their last big move to add an aging superstar, acquiring disgruntled forward Jimmy Butler from the Heat.
Butler is set to make nearly $57 million in 2026–27, the final year of his two-year contract with Golden State. He is also coming off of February surgery to repair a torn ACL, putting his status for next season in question. He would almost certainly be involved in any trade for Davis, whether Washington wanted him as a replacement or chose to reroute him to a third team that would get involved in the deal to make the salaries work.
Butler recognized the possibility that he would be moved in speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater for an article published Saturday.
“You talking about being traded?” Butler said. “It wouldn’t be the first time. [But] it’s good to know that I’m wanted here. If I get traded, I get traded. Their job is to win. Can I help them do that? Yes. If they feel like somebody else can help them do that on a quicker timetable than whenever I come back, then they got to go and do that, but as of right now, I’m here. I don’t take that for granted. I’m grateful, but if I’m going to be here whenever I get back, we're going to be just fine."
What would a Warriors lineup with LeBron James and Anthony Davis look like?
Adding James and Davis while retaining Green would give Golden State a very forward-heavy roster—especially if the team also finds a way to re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis. Over the last few weeks, it has been reported that the two sides have progressed towards a deal, though he may need to take less tor remain with the Warriors if the team is also bringing in a high-salary player at a similar position in Davis.
If Porziņģis returns, he likely plays center and could conceivably bump Draymond Green out of the starting five, as Golden State would need shooting from guard Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody in the starting lineup. (Moody, who makes $12.5 million next season, is also a trade candidate to open space and keep the Warriors under the second apron.)
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| PG | Steph Curry |
| SG | Brandin Podziemski |
| SF | LeBron James |
| PF | Anthony Davis |
| C | Kristaps Porziņģis |
If Porziņģis doesn’t re-sign, or the Warriors opt to keep Green in the starting five instead of him, the group could look like this:
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| PG | Steph Curry |
| SG | Brandin Podziemski |
| SF | LeBron James |
| PF | Draymond Green |
| C | Anthony Davis |
Losing Porziņģis’s floor spacing and bumping Davis to the starting center spot, off of his preferred power forward position, would hurt the lineup’s scoring punch. Considering Green could be taking a sizable salary cut to put this team together, however, he may also be open to coming off of the bench.
In any case, this would be a fascinating experiment, both for the sheer starpower involved and the advanced ages of this potential Golden State lineup. Curry, James, Green and Davis have an average age of 37. Curry and James have had a litany of lingering injuries over the last few years while Davis has a lengthy injury history and played just 20 games for the Mavs last season before he was traded to the Wizards, for whom he never suited up.
Porziņģis, if he is in the mix, is 30 and has his own history of injury issues. He played just 32 games between the Hawks and Warriors last season and has exceeded 57 games just twice in his NBA career.
At their best and healthiest, this is a loaded squad that could make some noise in the Western Conference. It is also a fragile group that would require careful management by Steve Kerr & Co.—especially during the grind that is the NBA playoffs.
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