Rumors that Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors are looking to form a veteran superteam by trading for Anthony Davis and signing LeBron James in free agency continue to stir debate across the NBA world.
While many, including Skip Bayless, are intrigued by the box-office appeal of such a scenario, the NBA analyst doesn’t foresee the possible shake-up translating to postseason success.
Skip Bayless Questions Warriors’ 2027 NBA Playoff Outlook if They Land LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Speaking on Monday’s edition of “Gil’s Arena,” Bayless, a longtime James detractor, voiced mixed feelings about Golden State reportedly looking to construct a roster headlined by aging, injury-prone stars.
“This would be something to behold. The problem is they would be the Olden State Warriors, right? The Golden Oldies,” Bayless said. “Next year, you’d have LeBron at 42, you’d have Steph at 39 midyear, he’d turn 39, you’d have Draymond [Green] at 37 — you might as well go get Klay [Thompson] — and AD would play at 34, and he’s like 54, right, ’cause he’s always shelved for some reason.”
While the 74-year-old conceded that the new-look Warriors “would be appointment TV every night,” he anticipated coach Steve Kerr facing a daunting challenge managing the seasoned veterans’ regular-season workloads in the cutthroat Western Conference.
“Steve would have to juggle minutes. If you could get it to the playoffs healthy — I’m not even sure it could make the playoffs,” Bayless continued. “You’d have to be able to play these guys enough to get to the playoffs in the West.”
Skip thinks the “Olden State Warriors” with LeBron and AD would struggle to make the Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/KXQfaZuAKJ
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) June 29, 2026
Curry was limited to 43 outings this past season as Golden State stumbled to a 10th-place finish in the West (37-45) after coming up short in the play-in tournament against the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns (45-37). Meanwhile, Davis, one of the league’s most injury-plagued stars, appeared in just 20 contests, never suiting up for the Washington Wizards following his midseason trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite being the oldest of the bunch, James had the most fruitful 2025-26 campaign, improbably willing the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers to the second round of the postseason behind vintage production after playing in 60 regular-season contests. Still, banking on a player over 40 to stay relatively healthy for an 82-game campaign and playoff run remains a risky proposition.
That said, if Golden State pulls off its rumored offseason plan and secures a 2027 postseason berth with its core near full strength, Curry’s elite shooting, James’ playmaking and complementary scoring, Green’s defensive tenacity, and Davis’ imposing two-way play in the interior would likely give the team at least a puncher’s chance against any opponent.
