LeBron James and Anthony Davis to Warriors? Here’s how Golden State could do it

Key Points:

• Draymond Green opting out of his contract creates salary cap flexibility for the Warriors to pursue LeBron James via free agency and Anthony Davis via trade.
• The Warriors would need to trade Jimmy Butler, whose $56.8 million salary closely matches Davis' $58.5 million, as part of the trade package, since no other Warriors player’s salary fits as well except Steph Curry, who is untouchable.
• Green renegotiating his contract to a lower salary for 2026-27 is crucial for the Warriors to stay under the first apron salary threshold, enabling them to offer James a non-taxpayer midlevel exception contract worth around $15 million.
• Trading for Davis would increase the Warriors’ salary commitments, but with strategic signings and rookie minimum deals, they could still fit James on the roster for about $9 million to $21 million depending on the structure, including a potential sign-and-trade involving Moses Moody.
• The scenario involving Moody would require sending him to a third team with draft capital, but could allow the Warriors to offer James a higher salary while remaining under the apron, though any contract arrangements must comply with NBA salary cap rules to avoid penalties.