Warriors on a clock to land LeBron James with backup options 'dwindling'

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LeBron’s free agency has been entirely on his terms since he said goodbye to the Lakers. Rich Paul is running the whole show, such as taking calls, blocking noise, and keeping LeBron's plans totally secret, while the rest of the league just guesses.

That leaves teams like the Warriors stuck holding onto empty roster spots and hoping for the best, with nothing to go on but vibes. But Golden State’s patience is running out fast.

The Warriors have quietly re-signed Kristaps Porzingis to a two-year extension, brought back Al Horford, and locked up De'Anthony Melton over the offseason, but their bigger swings haven't landed.

They missed out on Rui Hachimura, who signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and passed on paying up for Anfernee Simons, who ended up in Philly instead. Head coach Steve Kerr has already admitted that last year's roster wasn't built for a championship, and it has only gotten thinner since. That's the backdrop for ESPN's Anthony Slater laying out exactly where Golden State stands.

"Warriors coach Steve Kerr has openly talked about the need to lower expectations and acknowledged they weren't a championship-level team last season," Slater wrote. "They will still add a couple of newcomers in free agency, though the available names are dwindling. They didn't reach the necessary price on a contract for Rui Hachimura and prioritized De'Anthony Melton over Anfernee Simons."

Every day Golden State waits on LeBron, the remaining free-agent market shrinks. The front office has kept their cap space and draft picks untouched specifically to leave a spot open for him. They are gambling that a short-term, low-risk deal will convince a 41-year-old superstar to sign.

But this patience comes with a massive downside. GM Mike Dunleavy has passed on adding real roster depth, essentially running back a squad that went a disappointing 37-45 last year.

Worse, communication from James' camp has been entirely one-way. Golden State doesn't know his actual demands any more than the rest of the league.

Meanwhile, their window is actively closing. Available players are disappearing, the core around Stephen Curry is another year older, and LeBron isn't going to hurry his decision just because the Warriors are waiting on him.