LeBron James Never Waited on an Anthony Davis Trade. The Warriors Chased One Anyway.

As free agency rumors swirled this summer, there was a moment when the basketball internet had itself convinced that LeBron James might team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State. And for that to happen, the Warriors needed to make a big move. Specifically, they needed to pry Anthony Davis away from the Washington Wizards. It sounded wild on paper. But they actually tried.

The Warriors made calls. They asked about Davis and what it would take to get him. One source inside the organization told reporters that Washington’s asking price was completely “unreasonable.” Whatever the Wizards demanded, it killed the conversation before it ever really started. The talks fizzled that fast.

What the Warriors Were Thinking

The logic was straightforward enough. Golden State already had Curry and Green under contract. They had young pieces and draft capital. If they could land Davis, that trio plus LeBron would have been absurd. The front office figured that might be the kind of pitch that actually turns a superstar’s head. But here’s the thing about chasing LeBron James in free agency: he doesn’t really need a package deal. He’s been the package for two decades.

Shams Charania Shuts Down the Narrative

ESPN’s Shams Charania appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and pretty much killed the whole “LeBron was waiting on AD” storyline. According to Charania, James and his agent Rich Paul already had all the information they needed. No one was sitting around hoping for a domino to fall. “They were not waiting for another domino to fall,” Charania said. And that matches what multiple league sources have indicated — LeBron’s timeline was never tied to what happened in Washington.

So the Warriors made their push, got rejected, and moved on. James eventually signed with the 76ers. It was a clean break, no drama. The whole thing is a decent reminder that front offices often try big things that never get reported, and when they get reported, fans assume it meant a lot more than it did.

The Warriors’ Davis pursuit was real. It was ambitious. And it went nowhere. That’s about it.