Stephen Curry has a simple pitch to entice LeBron James to join the Golden State Warriors

LOS ANGELES – Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry would love to play with LeBron James, but he knows he is not the only one who feels the same as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer ponders where he will play next.

James, 41, told the Los Angeles Lakers last week that he was departing after eight seasons and a title in Southern California.

“I feel like any place he calls and says ‘I want to play there,’ you move mountains to make it happen,” Curry said on July 9, at a press conference before the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.

Curry said his pitch to James – his teammate on the United States’ gold medal-winning team at the Paris Olympics – was simple.

“The pitch is: Do you want to play good basketball and be around people that know how to play the game,” said the 38-year-old, who even added golf for good measure.

“Raise our floor, competitiveness. There’s good golf in the Bay.”

Curry’s Warriors side had also faced off against James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.

He added: “We’re an organisation that’s been there. He knows that. That’s really self-explanatory. It’s a matter of where he sees himself fitting. At the end of the day, that’s up to him.”

The Warriors are among a multitude of teams mentioned as possible landing spots for James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), who will be entering his 24th NBA season.

As the James sweepstakes moved into its second week, many pundits had zeroed in on the Cavaliers, the hometown team that he led to the 2016 title, after winning two titles with the Miami Heat.

But a return to the Heat has also been suggested, along with a move to Philadelphia in the wake of the 76ers’ acquisition of Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade.

The Cavaliers this week inked star guard Donovan Mitchell to a maximum four-year contract extension worth US$273 million (S$352.4 million), and his continued presence could be a lure for James.

Former NBA MVP James Harden is expected to re-sign with the Cavs after becoming a free agent, but details of his deal could depend on what James decides.

James’ agent Rich Paul said on a podcast on July 6 that as many as 10 teams could be serious contenders for the player’s services.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have put their planned trade for Kawhi Leonard on hold as a result of the NBA’s investigation involving the Los Angeles Clippers, they said on July 8.

According to the Raptors, the league told them they would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation affecting Leonard.

Leonard led Toronto to their only championship in 2019 before joining the Clippers a month later.

“In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete,” the Raptors said in a statement.

“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organisation and our fans.”

The NBA launched an investigation into the Clippers in 2025, following media reports that Leonard was paid by a now-bankrupt environmental firm that had close ties with team owner Steve Ballmer as a way to circumvent league rules that restrict the total amount a team can spend on their player payroll.

The reports said Leonard had a four-year, US$28 million endorsement contract with the firm, but the two-time NBA champion is alleged to have provided no work as part of the deal.

The Clippers have previously denied that any rules were broken and welcomed the league’s investigation. AFP