Two more Cavaliers players have joined LeBron James' European trip! The Warriors are still going all out in pursuit of LeBron

On June 20, 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors to win the championship, marking exactly a decade since then. LeBron James and his fellow Cavaliers are enjoying a European holiday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their victory. Today, two additional members have joined LeBron's party—Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert. The atmosphere is wonderful, with everyone laughing and having a good time.

Now, about the Warriors. The Athletic published an article titled: "Will LeBron Really Join the Warriors? The Biggest Questions About His Future Answered."

We probably need to talk about LeBron James now.

James and the Lakers are in an exclusive negotiating window, but there’s still no clear answer about what comes next. It seems highly likely he will play a 24th season, but questions about his future remain. Will he stay in Los Angeles? Or will he shock the basketball world by teaming up with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at the tail end of his legendary career? Current betting odds list the Warriors at +300 if James leaves the Lakers, further fueling speculation about a partnership with Curry.

With free agency approaching, Lakers beat reporter Dan Woike and Warriors beat reporter Nick Friedell got together to address the biggest questions they’ve heard around the NBA regarding James.

Q: How confident are you that he actually plays another season?

Woike: I’m more confident that he plays next season than that he doesn’t, because I think his competitive fire is still burning. You only retire when you can no longer feel certain things. For LeBron, that means controlling the home crowd and crushing the opponent’s hopes on the road. He felt that during the first-round series against the Rockets. It also means giving up the chance to play alongside or against his son during his son’s career—a son who is now at the stage where he needs consistent playing time.

LeBron loves golf—maybe that’s a small factor—but I still believe what he loves most about competition is the effort required to compete at an elite level. I’m not sure he’s ready to let that go.

Friedell: At the start of this season, I thought this was LeBron’s last year. But the more I watched him in the playoffs and listened to our discussions, the more I feel he has at least one more season left. I think it’s notable that when I was in the Lakers’ locker room after they were swept by the Thunder, an NBA entertainment crew was there filming, just in case it was the end—monitoring his every move. That’s not common.

I think he’ll come back, but everyone in the league understands that he might have already played his final game. And I also don’t believe, no matter what, that he would leave without some kind of farewell tour. That would really surprise me.

Q: Do you really think he would leave Los Angeles?

Woike: I’m not so sure. Whenever I talk to LeBron about life outside basketball, the conversation always circles back to Los Angeles—watching his daughter play volleyball, or playing golf at the country club. If he wants to keep playing and do it on his own terms, he might need to look beyond LA.

Friedell: Seeing is believing, and I don’t think he’s leaving. By all accounts, he seems comfortable in LA. The city offers him countless options—especially as his interests off the court continue to grow. Also, I agree with you. At this stage of his career, is his family really ready to move again? Relocation is tough for everyone, even with enough money to ease the blow. And what other team can give him a better chance to win while offering the same quality of life?

Q: Do you think he’s willing to take a significant pay cut?

Woike: If he goes to another team, it would be either via sign-and-trade or using the $15 million mid-level exception. The mid-level would be a massive pay cut and would certainly make LeBron the best player ever to sign using that exception. Would he do it? I’m a bit skeptical. Knowing how much mental and physical preparation LeBron puts into each game, I’m not entirely sure he could handle knowing he’s being paid less than Jakob Poeltl. The Lakers could use their cap space to sign him, but that would slow down their ability to make other meaningful adjustments. It’s a tricky spot.

Friedell: Honestly, where else can he go? We know about the Lakers. Over the past year we’ve heard some rumors about a possible return to Cleveland. And there’s a team in Northern California that seems to be monitoring the situation.

Q: There’s been a lot of speculation about him playing for the Warriors alongside Curry and Green. Do you think it’s possible?

Woike: I think the idea of playing with contemporaries would appeal to him. He’s a generation older than most current NBA players. Being around people he’s known, competed against, and respected for over a decade would have real appeal. Don’t forget the thrilling Olympic gold experience LeBron and Steph shared in Paris. That’s why he would consider it.

Friedell: Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. said Wednesday he wants his team to get younger this summer, not older, but he did leave the door open for adding more veteran talent if the opportunity arises. Even if LeBron likes the idea of playing with Curry and Green, why would he go to a team that has no realistic chance of contending?

Curry can still erupt, but I think his knee issues will continue to bother him for the rest of his career. Green is no longer the player he used to be every night. Butler will miss most of next season recovering from an ACL injury. Moody is also recovering from a patellar tendon tear.

Aside from the 11th pick in the draft and the possibility of the mid-level exception, the Warriors don’t have many other ways to improve the roster. The Warriors could be better next year, especially if they add LeBron, but with this core, their days as a championship contender are over.

Q: LeBron is one of the greatest players ever—but at this stage of his career, how good can he actually make a team?

Woike: At this point, he’s like the most experienced handyman in the world—what problem on the court can’t he solve? The only issue is that he can no longer do it for 82 games. I used to think that at this stage of his career, the best you could hope for was him winning a quarter or a half. Then he led the Lakers to a playoff series win. LeBron’s greatest trait is his ability to adapt his game to meet almost any need.

Friedell: Any team that gets LeBron will get one of the best players ever—but a 41-year-old James, understandably, needs to be on a team where he isn’t the primary option, with enough depth to support him on nights when he doesn’t play or isn’t at his best.

If you’re the Warriors, what worries me is the lack of shooting if LeBron, Green, and Butler are on the floor with Curry and whoever Steve Kerr uses. Great players usually find a way, but this version of LeBron can no longer rely on his freakish athleticism to get out of trouble. Of course he can’t—he’s 41 years old.

Woike: The argument for the Warriors centers on a nationwide basketball celebration. LeBron and Curry headlining together at this stage of their Hall of Fame careers would be a spectacular show, even if the team can’t compete at the top of the West. It would be an opportunity for him to end his career playing alongside the players who helped define a basketball era.

The argument for the Lakers is this: it seems to be the situation he wants most. In Los Angeles. The games would matter. He has a better chance to win. And he doesn’t need to add a fourth team to his resume. Ultimately, it comes down to the number he’s willing to accept to stay.

Friedell: Mr. Woike, if you’re the Warriors, the pitch to LeBron is simple: come to the Bay Area, play with Curry and Green. Make some new friends in Silicon Valley, expand your business empire, live in beautiful Northern California. There’s great wine and excellent golf courses. The Warriors would immediately become the most interesting team in the league, and LeBron and Steph would finally run together under the spotlight.