As the NBA offseason approaches, all eyes are on LeBron James and his next move, yet the 41-year-old superstar has made it clear he will not join the Golden State Warriors, shutting down the possibility of teaming with Steph Curry.
Last season, James opted into his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, setting up the potential for unrestricted free agency this summer, but sources confirmed he intends to remain with Los Angeles or return to Cleveland, not Golden State.
“LeBron James is not interested in playing for the Golden State Warriors next season if he doesn’t retire from the NBA this offseason, sources told Lakers Daily,” Ashish Matur reported, confirming the Warriors are officially out of the running.
If James continues his career rather than retiring, insiders say he is likely to either re-sign with the Lakers or consider a return to the Cavaliers, leaving the Warriors with no viable pathway to add the four-time NBA champion to their roster.
A return to Cleveland has been widely speculated for the 41-year-old LeBron James, with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reporting that the Cavaliers would be open to talks, reflecting continued interest despite James’ long history with the Lakers and Golden State pursuit rumors.
Back in 2024, Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported an “unsuccessful bid” from the Warriors to convince Los Angeles and James to consider a trade, showing that Golden State has repeatedly tried to acquire the veteran superstar over the years.
While the Lakers remain a potential landing spot for James, reports indicate Los Angeles may also focus on building around younger stars like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, showing the franchise is weighing its long-term options while James’ next decision looms large.
Regardless, it isn’t looking likely to be a dream union with Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who instead could move on to trying to land the Milwaukee Bucks’ standout star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, instead.
Lakers win and Golden State lose in race for Western Conference seed
Meanwhile on the court, Luka Doncic scored 35 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Austin Reaves added 25 points as the Lakers secured a 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks, extending their winning streak to four games despite the absence of LeBron James from the court.
The Lakers carried a 19-point advantage into the fourth quarter, and with clutch shots from Luke Kennard and Doncic, the team held on for the win, demonstrating resilience and depth to claim their 39th win of the campaign, moving them to fifth in the Western Conference with a .609 record.
Meanwhile, the Warriors fell 119-116 to the Utah Jazz in a tense contest, struggling without 35-year-old Steph Curry and several rotation players, including Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
Despite De’Anthony Melton leading the team with 22 points, the Warriors couldn’t close the gap in the final minutes, missing critical shots and free throws.
Two-way player Elijah Harkless made key free throws to seal Utah’s win, while Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski combined for 29 points but couldn’t compensate for absences.
Seth Curry returned from injury to contribute 13 points, but Golden State’s depleted roster highlighted their ongoing challenges as they slipped to their 32nd loss of the campaign, leaving them ninth in the Western Conference at .500.
