Warriors Make Move That Could Help Lure LeBron James

The Golden State Warriors would surely love to trade for Anthony Davis to lure LeBron James, but they also seem unwilling to overpay the Wizards for the 10-time All-Star center.

So the Warriors have done the next best thing: hire a former James coach.

On Sunday, the Dubs hired Frank Vogel as an assistant coach. Vogel coached James and the Lakers to their 2020 bubble championship.

The Lakers got bounced in the first round the next season, and the following year they missed the playoffs altogether.

That led to Vogel getting fired, but the Lakers haven't reached the highs they had under Vogel since.

James' Praise of Vogel

Days after the Lakers fired him in 2022, James was asked about Vogel, and he gave a glowing review.

"I respect Frank as a coach and as a man in our partnership that we’ve had over a few years here has been nothing but just candid," James said.

"Great conversations. He’s a guy that gives everything to the game. Prepared us every single night along with his coaching staff as well. You’ve got to give those guys a lot of credit, too."

There have been rumors over the years that James didn't fully respect some of his head coaches. The first one coming to mind is David Blatt, whom the Cavaliers fired after just 1.5 seasons.

But it's clear from this quote and their history that James respects Vogel.

Warriors Improve Their LeBron Pitch

Getting Vogel doesn't dramatically improve the Warriors' pitch for James, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

The most obvious parts of the pitch are a) the Bay Area's proximity to James' family home in Los Angeles and b) getting to play alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

But with Vogel in town, now the coaching staff James would be joining would be more appealing.

Steve Kerr has created a culture that is appealing to players. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are among the veterans who have spoken well of how the Warriors handle players on and off the court.

That's perhaps an underrated part of the Golden State pitch.

Another possible positive of the Warriors' pitch is money. The Warriors could have a plan to open up the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15 million for James and re-sign Green.

Aside from those things, you'd have to ask Green what other "crazy" things they can offer James.

Vogel Is a Great Hire Regardless of LeBron's Decision

Kerr has typically had an assistant coach make important strategy decisions with the Warriors' defense. Most recently, he had Jerry Stackhouse in that role.

But after Stackhouse left the Warriors this offseason, there was a big void in the assistant coaching tree.

There aren't many better candidates to fill it than Vogel.

He's known for being a defensive strategist. He's arguably overqualifed with 480 regular-season wins as a head coach and a playoff record of 49-43.

Add us as a preferred source on Google