Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has battled with the Golden State Warriors for a major chunk of his NBA career, facing them four times in the NBA Finals during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While James formed a rivalry with the Warriors franchise during those Finals matchups, it appears that the dynamic between him and the franchise has changed quite a bit.
According to Warriors insider Monte Poole, a league source shared that there is “curiosity” on both sides as James is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
“I know it seems crazy,” the source said on Wednesday. “But there is at least curiosity on both sides. This wouldn’t even be a conversation five or six years ago, and it might not happen now, but there’s enough there that we shouldn’t ignore the possibility. It’s mostly up to LeBron.”
James can sign with any team in the offseason, and it’s possible he will leave the Lakers to pursue a fifth title elsewhere. While the Lakers have a real chance to put together the best offer for James from a salary standpoint, the franchise is clearly headed in a new direction with Luka Doncic as its cornerstone.
Meanwhile, the Warriors could look to pair James and Stephen Curry together with both players at the back ends of their careers. Curry and the Warriors didn’t make it out of the play-in tournament in the 2025-26 season, but they could be more dangerous if James is on the roster.
After all, James appeared in 60 games in the 2025-26 season and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3. He did miss time early in the campaign with sciatica, but the four-time champion proved that he’s still one of the top players in the league.
James then followed that up by playing even better in the postseason, averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest across 10 playoff games, leading the Lakers to a first-round series victory over the Houston Rockets in six games.
Just a couple summers ago, James and Curry teamed up in the Olympics to help the United States win gold, and the two have some interesting chemistry on the court together.
If James decides that he no longer wants to be with the Lakers, it’s possible that he’ll end up with a team like Golden State that needs another piece or two to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
