​Popular NBA pundit Bill Simmons claimed that LeBron James never viewed the Golden State Warriors as a legitimate option and only used them for leverage. When James announced his free-agent departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State appeared to be the favorite, but the narrative quickly shifted as the Cleveland Cavaliers emerged as the strong favorites. Simmons insisted that a James-to-Cleveland deal was essentially done and said the Warriors were being used for leverage: “Another thing that happened to Golden State – I think they thought they were getting LeBron and potentially Anthony Davis. And now it’s pretty clear now they were being used as leverage as LeBron goes back to Cleveland. The Cleveland thing’s done.”
In the opening days of free agency, Golden State carried confidence and continued to operate under the belief that they still had a serious shot at signing LeBron. Yet recent reporting has undercut that optimism, suggesting the Warriors currently do not have much confidence about landing him. The vast majority of teams and observers expect James to sign with Cleveland, a point many see as a confirmation of Simmons’ argument. Simmons has a number of factors on his side that lend credibility to his bold claims about LeBron.
Simmons’ co-host Zach Lowe pressed Simmons on why LeBron would supposedly use another team for leverage in this scenario. Although Simmons did not offer a formal explanation, he reiterated his belief that Golden State never truly had a realistic chance to land James. LeBron could have leveraged the Warriors’ expressed interest to reclaim the NBA spotlight. Earlier in the off-season, chatter around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard dominated headlines because those players were widely perceived to be in play via trades, while James was anticipated to remain with the Lakers. But as soon as Golden State was linked as the favorite, all focus shifted to LeBron, and the conversation became centered on his potential return.
Simmons even expressed sympathy for Warriors fans, noting that the James rumors had revived fantasies of landing both LeBron and Anthony Davis—a combination that now appears unlikely. If Simmons is correct, the Warriors may not be able to add any new players to their roster after securing several key moves early in free agency. Golden State’s offseason strategy, or perceived lack thereof, has drawn scrutiny, with critics arguing that the franchise did not establish a credible fallback plan if James did not commit.
Trey Murphy had been cited as one of the few players Golden State might target in trades, but the deal stalled. New Orleans had pursued four first-round picks for Murphy at various points, and the Pelicans now seem inclined to hold onto him for the upcoming season. General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. faced criticism for not pursuing more viable targets and for betting heavily on a veteran player who, at 41, might be nearer the end of his career than the start of a new championship run. The sense among Warriors fans was that the franchise needed substantial, impactful moves to justify the hype, especially given the broader North American search for SEO-worthy headlines.
In sum, the debate centers on whether the Warriors overestimated their chance to sign LeBron and whether their strategic decisions this offseason reflected a lack of a robust Plan B. If Simmons’ perspective is accurate, Golden State’s offseason missteps and the heavy reliance on LeBron’s potential arrival may have left them with fewer options and less flexibility than anticipated, while Cleveland’s anticipated arrival of James could solidify a dramatically different balance of power in the league.