Sources: Warriors eye LeBron, AD moves as Green declines option - ESPN

The Golden State Warriors are planning a pursuit of LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis via trade this week, league sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, opening up the flexibility for such a possibility after Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option Monday morning.

Green had until 5 p.m. ET to decide on the option. For weeks, team and league sources indicated that Green would turn down the one-year financial guarantee and the Warriors would work with him on a new contract — lowering his salary for next season — only if it freed up the immediate flexibility for Golden State to secure a significant roster upgrade.

Hours ahead of the option deadline, Green's decline is a blaring indication that the franchise has something brewing and signals a shift in his and the franchise's belief in what they can possibly pull off this summer.

Green, James and Davis are represented by the same agent — Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

Team sources have indicated for weeks a planned pursuit of James via free agency, but early intel told them that James was likely to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Negotiations with Los Angeles in the lead-up to Tuesday's free agency, however, have gone nowhere, appearing to crack open the door.

The Warriors now have the flexibility to offer James the full $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, regardless of any trade pursuit of Davis with the Washington Wizards. League sources believe any Davis hunt in the coming days is an extra motivational tactic to lure James. The two won a championship together in 2020 with the Lakers and have remained close friends.

To acquire Davis, the Warriors' matching salary would almost assuredly have to include superstar wing Jimmy Butler, who is