The Golden State Warriors explored trades for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown before ultimately missing out on LeBron James this offseason, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who revealed on Stephen A. Smith's podcast that Golden State considered surrendering four first-round picks for either star before deciding against it.
Charania explained that the Bucks simply weren't interested in Golden State's proposed package for Antetokounmpo, a deal that ultimately went to Miami instead. Around the trade deadline, the Warriors and Celtics also discussed a similar swap for Brown, but Golden State again chose not to part with the draft capital required, with Brown eventually moving to Philadelphia as part of the trade that helped seal James's decision to join the 76ers.
Charania further reported that landing Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards would have given Golden State as strong a chance as any team, if not better, to sign James, but Washington was never interested in moving the big man, closing off that path before it could develop. Golden State's reluctance to surrender future assets reflects a broader organisational mindset geared toward remaining competitive beyond Stephen Curry's playing days, even if it meant running back largely the same roster that fell short of the play-in tournament last season. Despite the quiet offseason, Charania said he fully expects Curry to finish his career with the Warriors regardless of any lingering frustration over the front office's approach to this summer's chase for star power.
