The Golden State Warriors haven't given up in their pursuit of LeBron James. While the rumblings are growing louder that he's taking his talents back to South Beach, the Bay Area remains a potential destination for James.
On a recent Bleacher Report stream, Jake Fischer shared that should the Warriors land the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, then they will subsequently look to fortify their front court around James and Draymond Green.
That search could lead them to bring a pair of former Boston Celtics on board.
"I think both Kelly Olynyk and Georges Niang are two big men that could very well be on the radar for the Golden State Warriors if they were to get a LeBron assurance," Fischer voiced. "If they were to get a commitment from LeBron, I think they would still like some front-court depth after losing Quentin Post to an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies."
Why the Warriors would target Georges Niang
It's clear what Golden State has in mind if those are two players of interest. Both bring size and floor spacing. Niang is really just a four at this stage of his career. He was never a small-ball five. Now, it's best to avoid the 33-year-old guarding small forwards as much as possible.
Last summer, the Lawrence, Massachusetts, native joined the Celtics in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Niang never got the chance to play for his hometown team, though. Later in the offseason, Boston rerouted him to the Utah Jazz in a move that helped them shed payroll.
That contributed to getting the C's under the luxury tax. That move opened up roster-building and financial flexibility. It now has the organization in a position to reset the repeater tax. Doing so could pave the way for the Celtics to make a big splash next offseason. Just as they did in 2023-24 and the following campaign, when they lived over the second apron, this would best set them up to spend aggressively on their roster for a couple of seasons.
Why the Warriors would target Kelly Olynyk
As for the Warriors' interest in Olynyk, a player who did suit up for Boston, next year will be his 14th in the Association. The 13-year veteran spent the 2025-26 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.6 minutes across 42 appearances.
What that highlights is that, like Niang, the 35-year-old would provide another layer of depth. Adding even just one of these two would help Steve Kerr pace the likes of James, Green, Porzingis, and Al Horford through the rigors of an 82-game season.
If James relocates from California, rather than moving to San Francisco to team with Stephen Curry and Green in blue and gold, having more front-court depth, whether trusted veterans like Niang and Olynyk, or younger players they're interested in developing, is prudent with or without a 22-time All-Star joining the mix.
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