Lebron Leaves Warriors, Once Again, Out In The Cold And Forced To Find Plan B

LeBron leaves Warriors, once again, out in the cold and forced to find Plan B originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Knowing LeBron James would be their last legitimate chance to deliver overdue reparations to the legend of Stephen Curry, the Warriors’ front office paused much of its offseason business to hold the door open for the 41-year-old superstar.

They planned and plotted. Curry, as a nod to mutual respect between him and James, laid a welcome mat. Draymond Green unlocked a financial door through which his good friend, LeBron, could enter. Their effort to close the deal seemed to put Golden State in excellent position.

Visualizing the staggering significance of a Curry-James partnership, the front office spent months sniffing for a whiff of James.

And that’s all it got. A whiff.

After a few days pondering the idea of becoming a Warrior, LeBron on Friday announced he would chase his fifth ring as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

James joins a championship-level roster, as the Sixers have 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who was acquired on July 6 from the Boston Celtics. In addition, Philly has perhaps the league’s most talented young backcourt in guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. When all are healthy, there is no better starting five in the league.

James’ arrival in Philadelphia will send hearts soaring, as the Sixers have not reached the Finals since 2001 and last won it in 1983.

Meanwhile, the Warriors, after hoping for their biggest global flex since signing free agent Kevin Durant in 2016, are left empty-handed.

Pardon CEO Joe Lacob, general manager Mike Dunleavy, Curry and Green if they are deeply disappointed with losing the only available game-changer roaming the NBA’s free agent landscape.

This concludes an extended stretch of mostly futile efforts to build a roster around Curry. The greatest player in franchise history was 31 when Golden State’s dynastic run ended in 2019. He is 38 now. Only one of those seven seasons, 2021-22, was effectively augmented by offseason acquisitions.

The Warriors won the ‘22 NBA Finals, with Curry earning Finals MVP, mostly because team executives assembled an impactful supporting cast. Andrew Wiggins peaked, Jordan Poole sizzled and they made adroit free-agent signings: Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica. No new stars, but collectively an impressive offseason.

The other six offseasons offered forays into futility. Shots into the ether. From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Pascal Siakam to OG Anunoby to Paul George to Lauri Markkanen to a reunion with Kevin Durant – am I missing anyone? – every shot was an air ball. Or, worse, not earnestly attempted.

Meanwhile, the drafting was so spotty that the Warriors, who twice bypassed Trey Murphy III in 2021, now would need to shed significant assets to acquire him. They found no All-Stars through the draft, and none came as a free agent.

In six of the last seven seasons, the Warriors either missed the playoffs (four times) or were ousted in the Western Conference semifinals (twice).

Coming off a strong ’22 postseason, Poole signed a four-year contract worth $128 million. He was dancing toward the doorstep of stardom when his progress slid south after he was assaulted by his teammate. He was traded a year later.

While it’s fair to blame Green for disrupting the progress of Golden State’s most talented young player, it’s also fair to blame the shot-callers for using three precious lottery picks to select teenagers universally considered projects. Many around the league questioned the wisdom of the Warriors, led by an early-30s Steph, opting to rebuild rather than reload.

James represented the belated offseason reload. The star they had a chance to land. Even at age 41, he would have been reasonable atonement for previous miscalculations or aversion. Once LeBron announced his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, oddsmakers quickly considered Golden State a possible landing spot. The Warriors hoped James’ admiration for Curry and their potential for sweet music could be among the decisive factors.

Everyone in or near the orbit of Curry and James knows of LeBron saying, “Steph is the guy I want to play with. For sure.”

Anyone who might have missed that comment surely is aware of James reliving their Team USA experience in the 2024 Olympics, describing it as “perfect.”

James was, after all, Golden State’s best chance to build a roster the rest of the NBA would fully respect. The notion of him playing with Curry and Green, and perhaps Jimmy Butler III, even at their average ages, was too powerful for the Warriors to ignore. The roster needs a substantial upgrade, and LeBron was the biggest, boldest and best option within reach.

With Plan A off the board, the Warriors are forced to sniff backup options – Demar DeRozan might be the most accomplished – which will have a greatly diminished seismic effect. The only certainty is that any newcomer will be younger than James. 

Failing to get the boost that comes with a true game changer, the Warriors can be expected to go in one of two directions. They can trade for an impact player, sacrificing future draft capital. Or they can try to improve the roster on the edges. Exciting, eh?

Coach Steve Kerr can pencil in four opening-night starters: De’Anthony Melton and Curry at guard, Green at power forward and Kristaps Porzingis at center. The small forward slot that would have gone to James probably goes to Yaxel Lendeborg. No offseason trade provided a jolt of optimism through the roster, much less the fan base; the rookie drafted 11th overall is the most skilled wing on the current roster.

Let’s be clear. LeBron alone would never have put the Warriors at or near the top of the conference. They still would have needed to trade for talented youth able to have an appreciable effect now and several years into the future. Even without James, a trade remains a viable option, according to multiple league sources.

The front office and the franchise player are, once again, facing the prospect of coping with a relatively unspectacular supporting cast. Another air ball. Profoundly unsatisfying.

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