Warriors' $15 Million Plan For LeBron James Revealed Amid Lakers' Negotiation News.

The idea of LeBron James and Stephen Curry teaming up for an NBA season seemed unfathomable just a few months ago. It still feels unlikely, to be fair. But those slim chances aren't dissuading the Warriors from trying to get the King to the Bay Area for 2026-27.

This offseason, the Golden State Warriors' front office has $15 million to work with. That's the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, and they are going to use the whole sum to pursue the four-time NBA champion.

Several insiders have already reported on this plan. The latest to report on this was Anthony Slater, who wrote about the Warriors' plans this coming offseason.

According to an ESPN article by Slater, Golden State's front office is preparing for the possibility of recruiting the 41-year-old star. This involves making some moves to free up that $15.1 million offer. However, they have yet to make tangible moves toward that goal.

That's because, according to other reports, James' camp and the Lakers are already negotiating a new contract. Should those negotiations fall through, or if James decides he's open to speaking with other teams, the Warriors will put their plan into action.

That plan, as reported earlier on the same subject, states that Curry himself will meet with James this summer.

“League sources telling us at ClutchPoints that the Warriors are very much open to pursuing LeBron James and they plan to do so this offseason in free agency,” NBA insider Brett Siegel told Clutch Points.

"It seemed very doubtful, it seemed low percentage, now it’s kind of questionable. Now there’s going to be some legs to this… That same source told us that Steph is planning on meeting and talking with LeBron about potentially joining the Warriors over the course of the next few weeks, leading up to free agency," he added.

That said, should James remain with the Lakers or choose to sign elsewhere, the Warriors still have a few options.

Who Else Are the Warriors Targeting if They Can’t Sign LeBron James

The Golden State Warriors' overall plan this summer is to retain several high-profile players. That includes keeping Kristaps Porzingis and Draymond Green.

Green has a player option for the 2026-27 season, and he needs to decide what he'll do with it on or before June 29. The expectation, though, is that he'll remain in the Bay Area. The only difference is whether he returns for over $27 million under his option, or comes back on a renegotiated, team-friendly deal.

Porzingis, who was traded to the Warriors in February as Jonathan Kuminga headed to Atlanta, is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he is free to negotiate with any interested team.

The Warriors are among the teams expected to pursue him, though likely at a lower salary than the one he earned under his previous contract, which was worth $60 million over two seasons.

Outside of their current roster, though, there are also discussions surrounding forward Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard is under contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2026-27 season. Unlike LeBron James, though, the only way for the Warriors to acquire the two-way superstar forward is through a trade.

That would be much harder to accomplish, and hinges on whether the Warriors' assets are enough to sway the Clippers' front office.

On the upside, Leonard, who has dealt with his share of knee issues in the past, is coming off a season in which he played 65 regular-season games. He also averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game while posting 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals.

For the Warriors, who have struggled to score when Curry is off the floor, his addition would be of paramount importance, especially considering Jimmy Butler is recovering from an ACL injury.

On the other hand, Leonard's age is a concern, as he will turn 35 at the end of the month. While he remains a strong win-now piece, acquiring him would likely require multiple first-round picks.

So, while he would help the Warriors in the short term, he could hurt their post-Stephen Curry future.