Steve Kerr Makes Candid Admission About Warriors' Failed LeBron James Pursuit in NBA Free Agency

Even though the Golden State Warriors were believed to be among the teams LeBron James had interest in joining as a free agent this summer, head coach Steve Kerr doesn't believe they ever got close to an agreement.

Speaking to The Ringer's Logan Murdock , Kerr explained the pursuit of James "never went wrong" because it was "never really that close" to begin with:

"It never went wrong. We were never really that close. Steph and Dray obviously are friends with him, so they were doing the recruiting. I know LeBron now pretty well from the Olympics, and so I reached out to him during free agency and he's always really good about responding to texts. He's one of the guys who you text, you get a response. I just said, 'Hey, if we have something to chat about, let me know.' And I never heard back. And I wasn't offended at all.

"So while all this chatter was going on, like 'LeBron's going to Golden State,' I'm like, 'No, he's not.' We've worked together, we have great respect for each other. If he was interested, he would not just be talking to Steph and Dray, but he'd reach out and we'd have discussions. In the end, I think he made the right decision. It's a team that he gets to go to as the new guy, but also a team that hasn't won a title in 40-plus years. And can you imagine seeing him in a Warriors uniform? It would have been so weird."

The discussion about James to the Warriors really peaked when Draymond Green turned down his $27.7 million player option, giving the front office some flexibility to add free agents.

Golden State's pitch to James would have been centered around the opportunity to play alongside Stephen Curry after the two showed incredible on-court chemistry with Team USA during the 2024 Olympics.

After helping the U.S. win gold in Paris, James described playing with Curry as "everything and more."

The Warriors' roster talent was not at the same level as some of the other top suitors for James, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Curry, Green (who presumably would have signed a new deal with a lower 2026-27 salary to remain with Golden State) and Brandin Podziemski are the top three players for the Warriors. Jimmy Butler's recovery from a torn ACL is expected to have him back on the court around January or February.

Even with all of those players healthy, though, James would likely have had to shoulder a lot of the burden on both ends of the floor that he may not be physically capable with his 42nd birthday approaching on Dec. 30.

Curry already had an injury scare during the Warriors' open practice on Sunday, though Kerr told reporters his star guard is doing fine and will play in the opener against the Lakers.

James chose the 76ers to join a roster that already had Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. It's a strong mix of established veterans and still-rising young players to take some of the pressure away from him.

Green returned to the Warriors by signing a one-year deal worth the same $27.7 million he originally opted out of after James' decision.

As much fun as it would have been for fans to see James and Curry play in the NBA together, Kerr certainly didn't sound like he was ever preparing for it to become a reality.

Instead, fans will have to wait until the March 24 when the Warriors host the 76ers to get the first matchup between Curry and James this season.