The NBA offseason never falls short of taking fan bases across the league on a wild ride, and this summer suggests no different.
According to several reports around the league, the Golden State Warriors have built a master plan to pair LeBron James up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green when free agency opens, but the golden opportunity to construct the Hall of Fame lineup lies in the hands of the Washington Wizards.
Following Draymond Green's decision to decline his $27 million player option with the Warriors, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed that the decision from the defensive-minded star hinged on opening up an avenue for the Warriors to pursue not just LeBron James, but Anthony Davis as well.
Originally, it seemed like the dream of forming a Big 4 was just wishful thinking, but Charania's latest scoop of intel suggests that James and Davis would be a package deal.
Reporting for @SportsCenter on the Warriors ramifications after Draymond Green's surprising opt-out: pic.twitter.com/JWBYuAqGBq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
LeBron will only sign in Golden State if the Warriors can trade for AD, and unless the Wizards budge on giving up their major trade deadline addition, the plan for the Dubs could come crashing down.
Wizards control the Warriors entire dream offseason
To land Davis, the Warriors would almost certainly look to package the expiring contract of Jimmy Butler III, along with draft compensation, to entice the Wizards to move on from Davis.
Butler, though, is recovering from a torn ACL, and at 36, taking on the forward's contract and the high possibility of him not suiting up in D.C. makes the possibility of Washington considering the move highly questionable.
Obviously, Davis could straight up demand a trade to the Warriors, which isn't totally off the table, but all indications suggest that if the Wizards are willing to offer him the long-term max contract extension he's seeking, AD would be open to remaining in the DMV.
The Wizards have taken a massive step in the right direction this offseason by landing a commitment from All-Star guard Trae Young and selecting AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, so there seems to be a real attraction for Davis to consider staying put in Washington this offseason.
Will Dawkins will likely have to at least consider a move depending on what the Warriors are offering, but considering the Wizards have something good brewing for them, unless highly incentivized to move on from Davis, there's no reason for Washington to cave.
The Warriors' dream offseason is in the hands of the Wizards, and that may not be in the place they want it to be.
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