The Golden State Warriors have not been informed that a trade for Anthony Davis is necessary to sign LeBron James, and have not engaged the Washington Wizards on a potential deal, team sources told ESPN.

But some league sources believe an asset-dependent trade for Davis could be required to make their situation appealing enough to James to sign with the team over other options. However, the Warriors have received no such directive from Rich Paul and have not pursued talks with Washington regarding Davis.

Part of James' appeal to Golden State stems from the low-risk nature of a potential signing. A short-term deal would not require sacrificing draft capital, unlike a trade scenario involving Davis.

The Warriors have spent recent weeks signaling comfort with largely running back last season's roster. The team remains protective of its future draft picks while working to clean up its long-term salary structure during this later stage of Stephen Curry's career.

Golden State finished last season 37-45. Steve Kerr has publicly acknowledged the team fell short of championship-level play and said expectations should be tempered heading into this season.

The Warriors are expected to add a small number of newcomers through free agency, though available options continue to narrow as the market progresses as they wait on James to make a decision.