Lakers Will Lose LeBron James in Free Agency if Warriors Pull Off Anthony Davis Trade

The Golden State Warriors have become a serious threat to lure LeBron James away from the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA free agency.

Dec 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) and forward LeBron James (23) react in the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The immediate future for LeBron James just potentially took a drastic turn, as his time with the Los Angeles Lakers may very well be over if a certain scenario comes to fruition this summer.

On Sunday, a rumor surfaced about the Golden State Warriors’ elaborate plan to land James in NBA free agency. Golden State is reportedly trying to trade for former Lakers star Anthony Davis, who is currently with the Washington Wizards, to lure James to San Francisco and build a superteam.

Apparently, this rumor is gaining steam and could actually happen, but it depends on the Warriors landing Davis in a blockbuster trade that would send Jimmy Butler to the Wizards.

Warriors Must Land Anthony Davis to Sign LeBron James

Reporting for @SportsCenter on the Warriors ramifications after Draymond Green's surprising opt-out: pic.twitter.com/JWBYuAqGBq

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, James will only sign with the Warriors if they trade for Davis.

“The Warriors, in the last several days, formulated a grand plan of putting together a big four of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis and LeBron James,” Charania said. “But in order to do that, they needed the flexibility of Draymond Green opting out of his contract. $27.7 million opt out.”

It seems as though step one of the process has been put into action, with Green opting out, but now things get tricky, as this dream scenario for the Warriors won’t happen unless they’re able to land Davis in a blockbuster trade.

Charania made it clear that Davis must be on the Warriors’ roster for James to sign with Golden State as a free agent.

“And so AD and LeBron James would have to be a package deal in order to come to Golden State and team up with Green and Steph Curry.”

It’s Time Lakers Focus on Luka Doncic

Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

With James leaving the Lakers this summer, it looks like it could actually happen, with rumors surfacing on a daily basis, whether it involves the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat, the storied franchise should fully pivot to focusing on Luka Doncic.

James being ready to move on if the Warriors land Davis in a trade indicates he’s already got one foot out of the door, so the Lakers may simply need to move on while coming to terms with a post-LeBron future.

That said, James’ future should no longer be something that hinders the team’s offseason plans, whether that’s making bold trades or exploring their options in NBA free agency.

The question is what Rob Pelinka and company have brewing, and will they be game-changing moves to make the Lakers title contenders during the 2026-27 campaign?

Los Angeles needs to act fast and start to surround Doncic with the talent needed to be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.

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