For years, the idea of LeBron James joining Stephen Curry in Golden State was nothing more than a recurring fever dream floated whenever James entered free agency, never acted on. The idea of the two sharing the same jersey has resurfaced multiple times over the past few seasons, and each time, it quietly died. This offseason, that conversation has grown louder after James entered unrestricted free agency and informed the Lakers to move forward without him.

This time, however, the Warriors aren’t just dreaming- they’re structuring a plan around it. Yet, according to ESPN’s senior writer Ramona Shelburne, that plan can’t move forward until Golden State gets a crucial answer from the Akron Hammer himself.

“LeBron’s had multiple opportunities to go there, and so let’s see if this will be the one. But from what I understand, this is a sequencing issue,” Shelburne said, appearing on NBA Today. “They would want a commitment from LeBron James before they would go make a move for somebody like Anthony Davis.”

As shared by the X NBA Fan Page, ‘Oh No He Didn’t’.

That single word, sequencing, is the key to understanding everything the Warriors are doing right now. According to Shams Charania’s latest report on Green declining his player option, the Bay Area side has explored assembling a star-studded Big 4 featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

Draymond made his move- declining his $27.7 million option to create the flexibility this plan requires. On paper, it’s a lethal veteran ensemble. In practice, however, the plan carries enormous risk.

If the Warriors trade significant assets for AD before securing James’ commitment, they risk losing their depth only to watch Bron land on a different team. Such a situation would leave the Dubs with a gutted team, bearing another financial burden.

That’s why the negotiations are paused, as per Shelburne.

“As I understand it now, there haven’t been any substantive conversations between the Warriors and the Washington Wizards about Anthony Davis yet. I’m gonna just say yet,” she said.

And even if James says yes, the Davis piece is far from straightforward.

Anthony Davis would almost certainly expect more than the two remaining years on his current contract. He becomes eligible for a 4-year max extension worth $247 million in August.

Therefore, the Warriors can’t evaluate a Davis trade as a short-term piece.

“So far, everybody’s on a two-year plan with the Warriors. Steph Curry’s under contract for one more year, and he’s expected to do an extension. Steve Kerr just signed up for a short window, two years,” Shelburne said. 

“So if you’re gonna extend Anthony Davis, or you’re gonna pursue him in a trade, you have to be willing to extend him further. And so that’s where I think this gets a little tricky.”

The sequencing issue, then, is really a cascade – no LeBron commitment, no AD pursuit; no Davis, no Big 4. And without the Big 4, there’s no plan.

Dubs may have dropped the AD plan amid the LeBron James pursuit

Even if LeBron James agrees to play for the Warriors, pairing him up with AD appears increasingly difficult.

NBA insider Marc J. Spears recently reported that the Wizards’ GM, Will Dawkins, has little interest in moving AD. The management reportedly views him as the foundational piece and intends to build the team around him.

So, the door’s shut for the Warriors. Moreover, the Dubs’ own recent moves also point toward a changing strategy. 

The team recently committed to Kristaps Porzingis, offering him a two-year, $40 million contract. That’s a concrete amount for the proven frontcourt given the team’s current championship window. This ultimately reduces the urgency in pursuing AD at 5.

There is also another possibility behind all this frenzy.

Around the league, the recent speculation may serve as leverage for AD. With him approaching an extension of eligibility, the frenzy could significantly strengthen AD’s negotiating power.

For now, Shelburne’s report makes one thing clear. 

The Dubs aren’t waiting on Davis but on Bron.

Until the Dubs get a commitment from LeBron James, the Warriors’ offseason hasn’t really kicked off. So, the dream of Big 4 has quickly slipped.