The One Advantage Warriors Could Have Over Lakers in LeBron Sweepstakes

If LeBron James wants more money and better proximity to his family home, he should re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

One could also argue that staying with the Lakers would be the cleanest result for his legacy.

These are among the reasons many believe James will stay with the Purple and Gold.

But the Warriors could have one advantage over the Lakers that might make all the difference.

Warriors' Pitch Could Make LeBron Feel More Wanted

The most the Warriors can offer James is the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $15 million in 2026-2027. The Lakers have the cap space to offer James about $50 million.

But the Lakers are almost assuredly going to spend a chunk of that $50 million on other free agents.

That's a sound strategy to build the best possible team. But it does risk making James feel less wanted as the Lakers potentially ask him to wait on their other free-agent pursuits and then offer him what's left over.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will likely bend their whole offseason around opening up the $15 million NTMLE for James because they will view him as their top priority.

That will include asking Draymond Green to opt out of his $27.7 million player option to sign a multiyear deal with a smaller 2026-27 salary and asking Kristaps Porzingis to take a massive discount.

The Porzingis ask is most risky because it could make him feel less wanted and have him flirt with signing elsewhere, but that's a risk the Warriors will take to prioritize James.

It also can only help that Stephen Curry is reportedly planning on meeting with James and pitching him on the Warriors. It's not clear how active Luka Doncic will be in pushing for James' return.

Warriors' Pitch Should Beat Cavs' Pitch

It's not clear how many suitors James will have when free agency begins. Of the five most rumored suitors, the Warriors might have the second-best offer when considering money and proximity to Los Angeles.

That's especially true when comparing the Warriors' pitch to the Cavaliers'.

The Stein Line's Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote as much on Tuesday, also highlighting that the Warriors' pitch is "presumed to include the idea that LeBron could commute from Los Angeles to some TBD degree without having to move his family."

The Cavs have essentially no way to offer James more than the veteran minimum of $3.9 million.

I'd still say the most likely result is James re-signing with the Lakers. But if he feels disrespected by their plan, the Warriors should be appealing enough to land him, creating a Big Four with Curry, James, Jimmy Butler and Green.

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