Warriors' Challenger for LeBron Makes Move That Signals End of James Bid

Among the Golden State Warriors' advantages in the LeBron James sweepstakes is the ability to offer the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15 million.

Among their biggest potential challengers, the San Antonio Spurs stood out as a team that could offer that contract to James.

Well, they can't anymore.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Spurs used their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31 million deal.

The Stein Line's Marc Stein reported that the Spurs are not expected to pursue James after signing Harris, but he added that the Nuggets are joining the chase.

Warriors Have Easiest Access to NTMLE Among Remaining Challengers

The Cavaliers, Heat and Nuggets are currently the three biggest challengers to land James, and they all have cap constraints that affect how much they can offer the four-time MVP.

The Heat used part of their NTMLE on Tim Hardaway Jr.'s one-year, $6.5 million contract, so they don't have the ability to make an offer even close to the $15 million offer the Warriors can make.

The Cavs haven't officially come to terms with James Harden, but unless he takes a bigger pay cut than expected, they won't have access to the full NTMLE.

The Nuggets' five highest-paid players make about $186 million. They would have to salary-dump one of them to have access to the full NTMLE.

How Warriors Can Use the NTMLE on James and Sign Green

As I argued here, the most realistic way for the Warriors to sign James with the NTMLE and pay Draymond Green a salary close to $20 million is trading Moses Moody.

After the Warriors and De'Anthony Melton agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal, Green's salary might top out at $17 million following a Moody trade.

But the point still stands.

The Warriors will need someone to take on Moody's $12.5 million contract while he's injured. That isn't necessarily a foregone conclusion, but I suspect one of the five rebuilding teams that have a trade exception big enough to absorb Moody's contract would be happy to take on a 24-year-old wing under contract through 2027-28.

The other option is trading or releasing Kristaps Porzingis, but that's more of an emergency solution.

If the Warriors are the only team offering James the NTMLE, that could make a big difference.

Golden State certainly seems to be making James its top priority, whereas other challengers are operating as if he's not.

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