Steph Curry is planning to meet with LeBron James over the next few weeks to talk about the possibility of James joining the Golden State Warriors in free agency, a new report says.
The meeting underlines that the Warriors are at least open to pursuing James this offseason. Reporter Brett Siegel relayed league-source reporting that Golden State intends to explore the idea actively in the run-up to free agency and that Curry himself will try to sell James on the fit. The franchise has checked in with the Los Angeles Lakers about James' availability via trade over the past couple seasons.
The clearest, simplest financial route for the Warriors would be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception — roughly $15 million per season — a number that would amount to a roughly 70% cut from what James could otherwise command. That small-dollar path is straightforward but would impose a steep pay reduction on a player of his stature.
A more realistic way to pay James closer to market value would be a sign-and-trade. Those deals require three-year contracts and can include non-guaranteed years; they would permit the Warriors to offer roughly $30 million to $35 million to James next season in some configurations. To clear the payroll math for a sign-and-trade, the Warriors would need a major outgoing salary, with three names repeatedly floated: Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green or Kristaps Porzingis.
Not all those options are workable. Butler’s salary and a recent ACL injury make him a difficult trade chip. Green has the defensive profile a contender like the Lakers would value, and he shares a long-standing relationship with James and the same agent, Rich Paul — a pairing that would smooth negotiations. Porzingis, by contrast, figures as the most likely candidate to be moved in a sign-and-trade, a move that could free enough space for a $30–$35 million salary in Year 1 of the new deal.
The report itself carries an important caveat: while the Warriors have opened the door to pursuing James, the odds remain low. There is also a plausible alternative explanation for the diplomacy — James may be testing Golden State’s interest to strengthen his leverage with the Lakers and to maximize guaranteed money. Whatever the outcome, ink-on-paper economics favor Los Angeles as the place where James would likely secure the largest guaranteed offer.
There are two immediate, verifiable next steps. Curry’s meeting with James is scheduled to take place over the next few weeks, and free agency will follow. Those two events will determine whether this is a genuine courtship or a bargaining chip. The unresolved question the meeting must answer is simple: will James seriously entertain the pay cut or contract structure necessary to join Golden State, or is the Warriors’ role limited to offering leverage in his negotiations with the Lakers?
