Can't Let Go of Grudges! Report: LeBron James Never Considered Joining the Warriors, Prefers to Team Up with Curry Elsewhere

Warriors reporter Slater reported on July 29 that during LeBron James's free agency deliberations this summer, while he may have been open to playing with Stephen Curry, he was not interested in becoming a member of the Golden State Warriors. Slater said on his program that James never truly included the Warriors in his list of potential destinations before eventually committing to the Philadelphia 76ers.

"A source told me that LeBron would rather join forces with Curry on another team than go directly to the Warriors, and the root cause is the past grudges between the two sides," Slater said. "That's also a major reason why the Warriors were never in his final list of candidates."

Slater added that the Warriors are comfortable with keeping their current core roster intact for the upcoming season.

Just before this news broke, Shams reported that Draymond Green had completed his contract extension with the Warriors. Green had opted out of his previous deal, intending to free up salary cap space for the Warriors to pursue LeBron James.

A few days earlier, James had reached an agreement to join the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option.

Before Slater's report, Green also discussed on his own podcast how the history between James and the Warriors influenced his free agency decision.

"I've always believed that LeBron can't get past that historical baggage, and I can understand that... If he joined the Warriors, he would face overwhelming public criticism. Everyone would say, 'See, you finally teamed up with Curry,'" Green said.

Green concluded: "I believe this greatly influenced his decision. Without a doubt, if he had chosen the Warriors, outsiders would have constantly attacked and undermined his legacy using that narrative."

Before James officially signed, Shams listed five teams that believed they had a chance to sign him: the Warriors, 76ers, Heat, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves.

Slater revealed that Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted: "I never really thought we had a realistic chance to compete for LeBron."

Slater quoted Kerr: "It was just that everyone outside was talking about our interest. Despite all the rumors, I always felt it wasn't a feasible move."

With Jaylen Brown and James joining the 76ers, the team will begin the 2026-27 season with championship aspirations. Meanwhile, the Warriors plan to have Kerr coach the team with Curry and Green together for at least one more season.