The Golden State Warriors were rumored to be interested in guard Collin Sexton, but while they wait for LeBron James' decision, Sexton has come off the free-agency board. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Sexton signed a two-year, $19 million deal with the Lakers. The Warriors would have needed to use a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to offer Sexton the same contract. Doing so would have compromised their James pursuit, as they would've lost the ability to offer him much more than his veteran minimum price of $3.9 million. James is reportedly concerned more with his happiness than making more money, but I wonder about the optics of signing for the veteran minimum. Getting $15 million might make a difference for him. Warriors Re-Sign Melton Right After Sexton NewsCharania reported that De'Anthony Melton and the Warriors agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract with a player option in the second season.Melton doesn't have the offensive ability of Sexton, but it's a prudent move nonetheless. With Moses Moody out for at least half of the 2026-27 season, the Warriors were in desperate need of a quality on-ball defender. Melton is one of the best guard defenders in the league. Melton was over-taxed for much of the 2025-26 season on offense, as he was being asked to be a primary playmaker. Ideally, the Warriors would add a talented backup point guard so Melton can be more of a secondary playmaker when Stephen Curry is off the floor. But with Sexton off the board, their options are dwindling. If LeBron Plan Falls Through, Only One Major Warriors FA Target RemainsMore than a month ago, the Warriors were linked to both Sexton and Anfernee Simons as possible mid-level exception targets. Simons is still available. The Warriors will hope that if James signs elsewhere, they can pivot to Simons immediately. My guess is Simons will agree to a contract with someone else while the Warriors wait on James. Simons should have a big free-agent market after averaging 18.8 points over the last five seasons. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow