LeBron James gave serious consideration to finishing his career with the Golden State Warriors before ultimately choosing the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to longtime agent Rich Paul, turning down the opportunity to join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in the Bay Area was one of the toughest decisions James faced during free agency.
“That was a very tough one,” Paul told co-host Max Kellerman.
“Who wouldn’t want to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in the Bay Area?” he added.
The Warriors had been viewed as one of the leading contenders to land James, especially while speculation surrounded a potential Anthony Davis trade.
A move to Golden State would have reunited James with Davis while pairing him with Curry after their successful run together at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
That scenario never materialized after the Wizards decided to keep Davis, leaving the Warriors without a realistic path to reshape their roster before free agency.
James instead signed a reported two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers following weeks of speculation about his future.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is now expected to finish his career in Philadelphia, where he’ll chase one final championship alongside Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey.
For Warriors fans, however, the possibility of watching James and Curry share an NBA court will remain one of the biggest “what ifs” of recent years.
LeBron James’ decision to reject Warriors was ‘tough,’ agent says https://t.co/o40MrE5U9t pic.twitter.com/2aahMonMyQ
— New York Post (@nypost) July 25, 2026
