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DUBROVNIK, CROATIA - JUNE 13: LeBron James talks with Team AlUla’s Rusty Wyatt during the E1 Series Dubrovnik GP in Croatia as the Golden State Warriors emerge as a realistic alternative if he leaves the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Golden State Warriors may not be the favorites to land LeBron James.

But they are no longer easy to dismiss.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the prevailing sentiment around the NBA is that James will likely return to the Los Angeles Lakers if he decides to play a 24th season. Yet the Warriors have emerged as the most realistic alternative should the four-time NBA champion decide to leave Los Angeles.

The latest reporting arrives at an intriguing moment for Golden State.

General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. made it clear Wednesday that the Warriors are willing to consider adding older players if the move significantly improves their championship chances.

“I think we’ve got to look at it,” Dunleavy said on Wednesday. “We’re OK with it if we’re going to get older. It’s frankly not the best thing, but if it’s going to make us better, significantly better, I think we have to look at that.”

Dunleavy acknowledged that Golden State would prefer to get younger but stopped short of ruling out a major win-now swing.

“There’s only so many guys I feel like we could bring in that are older,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve got some guys on the back end of it already. And to add to that, there’d definitely be some risk, but maybe there’s a situation we do that and go for it.”

Warriors Face Significant Financial Obstacles

The biggest hurdle is obvious.

McMenamin reported that the Warriors, as currently constructed, can offer James only the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth approximately $15.1 million next season. That figure is roughly $37 million less than what James earned last season.

The Lakers, by contrast, hold a far stronger financial hand.

Los Angeles could technically offer James a maximum contract of approximately $182 million over three years, though no one in the league expects the Lakers to approach that number.

Executives instead believe Los Angeles could retain James on a contract in the $20 million-to-$30 million annual range while preserving enough financial flexibility to continue upgrading the roster.

That financial reality makes Golden State a difficult pathway.

But not necessarily an impossible basketball fit.

Why LeBron James Makes Sense for Golden State

GettyLeBron James hugs Stephen Curry after Team United States’ victory against Team France during the Men’s Gold Medal game in 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Warriors’ interest in another veteran star is not difficult to understand.

Stephen Curry remains one of the league’s elite players, but he will turn 39 next season. Jimmy Butler turns 37 before training camp, and Draymond Green is entering his age-36 campaign.

Golden State’s championship window remains open, but it is undeniably narrowing.

James, meanwhile, continues to perform at an All-NBA level even in his 23rd season. The four-time MVP remains one of basketball’s most versatile playmakers and one of the few stars capable of transforming a contender’s ceiling.

Adding James would instantly give the Warriors another primary initiator, additional size and one of the league’s greatest postseason performers.

It would also represent the type of franchise-altering move Dunleavy suggested remains under consideration if the right opportunity presents itself.

Lakers Still Hold the Advantage

James has not yet made a final decision.

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” that he has not had formal discussions with James about his future and emphasized that the decision will ultimately be made with James’ family.

Paul also revealed that approximately “10 to 12” teams have reached out to express interest in James.

Still, league sentiment overwhelmingly points toward a return to Los Angeles.

For the right older star, however, the Warriors appear willing to listen.

There simply aren’t many veteran players left who can fundamentally alter a franchise’s championship odds. Even entering his age-42 season, James remains one of them.

The odds still favor a return to Los Angeles. But Dunleavy’s willingness to entertain an older, riskier path leaves open the possibility that if James ever decides to leave the Lakers, the Warriors could once again find themselves at the center of the NBA’s biggest story.