LeBron watch, the No. 11 pick and everything we kn...

During the three weeks of bigger picture conversation that ultimately led Steve Kerr to return as coach of the Golden State Warriors, sources in the front office expressed slight surprise about Kerr's steadfast agreement that long-term organizational prudence is needed despite what sets up as an urgent final chapter. Don't mortgage the future for the present. Don't throw around first-round picks for marginal upgrades. "It's what should've been done four years ago," one high-ranking team source said. "But not now." The Giannis Antetokounmpo conversation is a barometer. As recently as February's trade deadline, the Warriors had aggressive discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks and expressed a willingness to unload their draft pick cupboard. But during offseason trade conversations with the Bucks, they've remained on the sideline, a signal of a quietly shifting approach. "We had to come to a much more reality-based shared vision on what success looks like for us," Kerr said at his return news conference. "What are we trying to accomplish? Because for the first time since our injury-plagued year [in 2019-20], we aren't sitting here saying, 'Hey, we can win a championship.'" Here's what I'm hearing about the Warriors as transaction season in the NBA arrives. If negotiations between James and the Los Angeles Lakers break down -- and if James goes searching for a new home for his 24th NBA season -- the Warriors are a willing suitor, team sources said. But openness does not equal anticipation. All the intel that Warriors decision-makers have gathered continues to point toward James' return to the Lakers, team sources said, and they are currently plotting their summer under that premise. The Warriors' pitch, if the door cracks open, would be simple. They can clear room for the full $15.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel -- a team-friendly, low-risk bargain with on-court and off-court financial upside. James is an obvious top free agent target at that price point. The Warriors could theoretically tack on a second season player option and get Stephen Curry in on the recruitment process, if required. But they haven't knocked on that door because they've been given any indication it can be unlocked. The Warriors checked in on Leonard in the days leading up to the February trade deadline, as sources told ESPN in the aftermath. The LA Clippers, team sources said, engaged to a greater degree than in the past, but they ultimately returned to the Warriors with the same answer: Team owner Steve Ballmer said no. Leonard, unlike James, would cost a mix of players and future draft capital and would presumably require a large-scale extension off his current $50.3 million expiring deal, making it a greater long-term gamble. But team sources continue to indicate he's the type of established wing talent they would pursue in a win-now maneuver, depending on the price point. The problem: League sources said Ballmer has maintained a firm stance against a Leonard trade, preferring to continue building around his star forward. New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III could be more obtainable in this transaction cycle, league sources said. Murphy is a player the Warriors front office has circled for years as a prime wing who fits a need, the Kerr system and, at 25, accomplishes the goal of getting younger. The Pelicans have clung to him tightly, but league sources said New Orleans has been signaling a desire to jump into the first round of next week's draft. The Warriors have the 11th pick and control of their future firsts. General manager Mike Dunleavy and his front office have spent the vast majority of the past month sifting through options with the No. 11 pick. There's been a collective and genuine level of enthusiasm building about the prospects who could fall into their range, solidifying a league belief that they'll be protective of it in trade talks. Controlling owner Joe Lacob and executive vice president Kirk Lacob have been part of the process. Kerr has been in the facility watching workouts. But this is considered Dunleavy's choice, a critical decision for a recently extended general manager during this in-between phase of the final Curry chapter and whatever comes after. Michigan wing Yaxel Lendeborg was in San Francisco last week. Mixed into a group of otherwise second-round prospects, Lendeborg unsurprisingly impressed those in attendance, team sources said, solidifying an internal belief that he's a 6-foot-9 plug-and-play frontcourt option for a team that desperately needs skilled size. "The fit is so obvious," one team source said. • Jeremy Woo's top 100 rankings • Latest mock draft • Mock draft simulator • Current draft order for Rounds 1 and 2 • More draft coverage But so is the age question. Lendeborg is 24, a week older than Jonathan Kuminga, the fifth-year wing the Warriors traded in February. Lendeborg's age, team sources said, doesn't disqualify him. He's a real option at the 11th spot. But it will

LeBron watch, the No. 11 pick and everything we kn...

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LeBron watch, the No. 11 pick and everything we kn...

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