What's next for the four LeBron James losers? Warriors' window is closed, and the Cavs are in trouble - CBS Sports

What the report says

CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn analyzed the fallout from LeBron James’ offseason choice to join the Philadelphia 76ers, reporting that James had seriously weighed five teams before signing a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia. The July 25, 2026 piece says Golden State, Cleveland, Miami and Minnesota had all waited on James and now must proceed without a comparable free-agent option available.

Quinn’s central conclusion is that the Warriors’ title era has effectively moved into a new phase. The analysis argues that if James, at age 42, viewed Philadelphia as a better championship bet than a team built around Stephen Curry, it signals how far Golden State has slipped from its peak as a premier destination. CBS Sports notes Curry is 39, Jimmy Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, and the Warriors are more likely operating as a play-in-level team than a true contender.

The article says Golden State is unlikely to trade Curry unless he requests it, and there is no indication that he has. Quinn expects Draymond Green eventually to re-sign, while suggesting any remaining additions would be lower-level moves rather than franchise-changing transactions.

For Cleveland, CBS Sports frames the missed pursuit as especially costly because the Cavaliers preserved flexibility for James and lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, described as their top on-ball defenders. The piece says possible alternatives, including Jonathan Kuminga or in-house option Jaylon Tyson, would not fully replace the depth Cleveland sacrificed. The public text supplied does not include the full sections on Miami or Minnesota, but the headline and snippet indicate Quinn also assessed their next steps after missing out on James.