LeBron James should go to the Warriors. 

Hear me out. 

Yes, his family is rooted in Los Angeles. He’d be able to earn more money with the Lakers than with Golden State or Cleveland. And if he remained with the purple and gold, he’d finish his career with the franchise for which he played the most consecutive seasons and carried to its first championship in 10 years in 2020. 

But if you listen to James’ words, he has made it clear he’s only going to keep playing if he remains excited to show up to arenas five hours before games. If he’s still committed to putting in the type of work that has allowed him to remain a superstar into his 40s. 

What would excite him more than joining forces with Steph Curry and Draymond Green? 

James going to the Warriors feels so wrong that it feels right. 

He faced them in four straight Finals when he was with the Cavaliers. They were the mountain he had to climb to overcome a 3-1 series deficit before leading the Cavaliers to their first championship in 2016. Curry and Green commanded his respect more than anyone in the modern NBA. They were his nemeses. 

They’ve since become something else to him. 

In an episode of “The Shop” in 2022, James said if he could play alongside anyone in the league it would be Curry. 

As for Green, James recently told the California Post that he’s his “brother.” When Green was asked if he ever dreamed of joining forces with James, he told this publication, “I’ve always wanted to.”

The thought of James playing alongside Curry and Green would be thrilling. It would be the revenge of the old men who refuse to age. 

Curry can still shoot the lights out. James can still single-handedly carry a team in a playoff series, as we witnessed in the first round against Houston in April. Green would give Victor Wembanyama a run for his money as the best defender in the league if he truly believed he had another shot at winning a championship. (Just look at what Green did against Kawhi Leonard in the Warriors’ play-in game against the Clippers in April.)

That trio would be exciting. It would be fascinating. It would infuse all of their careers with a newfound sense of purpose. 

There’s something that feels stale about James returning to the Lakers.

He watched the purple and gold become Luka Doncic’s team after they acquired him in a blockbuster trade in Feb. 2025. He slipped to being the third offensive option this season, behind Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Did he make it work? Of course. The Lakers went 16-2 last spring.

But there’s something unnatural about watching someone who has been a circle all his life jam himself into a square peg, even if he’s good enough to shape shift. 

While Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss have both said they’d love for James to finish his career in Los Angeles, it’s obvious they’re looking forward. It’s equally obvious that James has felt disrespected at times. 

Things would be different in Golden State. 

Instead of placing their hopes on a young hotshot, they’re still looking at the rearview mirror. They’re trying to make that view relevant again. They’re celebrating it. 

They’re trying to extend Curry’s championship window. They’ve made it clear they still believe in Green. If James joined the Warriors, he’d still get the respect of being arguably the greatest player of all-time, instead of being reduced to taking a supporting role. 

He’d still be him. He’d be playing alongside the greatest shooter of all-time. Neither of them would have an ego when it comes to one another. Just look at the 2024 Olympic team, when James won MVP but Curry played hero. It just worked. They genuinely celebrated each other. They won gold together. 

If James remains in LA, things are going to get muddy. 

There’s no way the Lakers are going to offer James (who made $52.6 million last season) a maximum contract extension. The problem is he’s still playing like a maximum contract player. 

The Lakers would likely offer James something in the $20 to $30 million range, while trying to retain Austin Reaves and building out their roster around Doncic. That would be a tough pill to swallow for a player who resuscitated the franchise after it missed the playoffs six straight seasons. 

The Warriors currently have even less money to offer James: The $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. But somehow that feels like less of a slight. There’s no history there. James would be choosing a massive salary cut instead of begrudgingly accepting one from a team he poured himself into over the last decade. 

Sure, James would be leaving a lot of money on the table, an anathema for a guy who has been famously opposed to doing that sort of thing in the past. 

But it would also mean a fresh start. A new challenge. A new purpose. 

The four-time champion would join forces with players who have won four championships. James, Curry and Green have some of the sharpest basketball minds in the league. They’d form a supercharged think tank together with unknown capabilities. 

It would be the geriatrics against the young bucks. It would be must-watch television. The three of them would deeply have something to prove. 

There would hardly be an adjustment period. 

James has studied Curry’s and Green’s games over four championship rounds. They’ve earned their PhDs on him. They probably know each other better than any of their current teammates.

James has earned the right to do whatever the heck he wants. He has shattered nearly every record in the books. He has arguably had the greatest career of any athlete ever. His longevity is unprecedented. 

On paper, returning to the Lakers makes the most sense. 

But now’s not the time to play it safe. If he doesn’t retire, this will be his final hurrah. Why not put everything on the line? Why not do something that will light a fire under him? Why not go after what could be most fun?

James’ goal was to become the first player in NBA history to play alongside his son, Bronny. He accomplished that. It’s time for Bronny to spread his wings. And it’s time for James to try and soar one last time. 

James going to the Warriors would be the ultimate candy for a fanbase that wants to see the faces of the league thrive before the league moves on. It would be a defibrillator for James’ mind.

It would be a new final chapter. 

Instead of the same tired story, it would be a must read.

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