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The Golden State Warriors' roster for the 2023-24 season is beginning to take shape. In addition to the Warriors' usual Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green core, the Dubs have added Chris Paul, Cory Joseph, and, most recently, Dario Saric, to supplement their veteran team and, perhaps, compete for another championship next season.
Saric, in particular, could be of huge help to the Warriors, emerging as yet another versatile big man in the Dubs' long line of similar contributors over the years. Moreover, one of the Dubs roster's most pressing needs was to get a huge body in the paint, and Saric should help fill that glaring roster hole.
The Warriors will be expecting improvements from the likes of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, and more availability from Andrew Wiggins should help. Brandin Podziemski has shown flashes of good playmaking feel, while Trayce Jackson-Davis could be more ready to contribute than many expect.
Thus, the Warriors should have enough firepower to improve upon last year's 44-win season. But will the Warriors, perhaps. rue a missed opportunity that could have made them one of the favorites to win the 2023 NBA championship — especially in light of their decision to go all-in on making sure that Stephen Curry spends the twilight of his career contending for a fifth ring?
Here is the Warriors' biggest mistake during the 2023 NBA free agency period.
Warriors' biggest mistake during 2023 NBA free agency: Not being patient with Jordan Poole trade
Among the Warriors' moves in free agency, nothing stands out as a particularly awful move. Dario Saric and Cory Joseph may not be the sexiest options on the free agent market, but they're players with high basketball IQs, so they should flourish in the Warriors' system. There's no reason to get too worked up over those moves, for certain.
But their decision on Jordan Poole is something that should end up a crucial one for both the Warriors' short and long-term futures. Sure, trading away Poole seemed like an inevitable undertaking for the Warriors front office given how seemingly irreparable the relationship between the 24-year old combo guard and Draymond Green is. But was Chris Paul truly the best return they could have received for someone who was supposed to be a huge part of the Dubs' future?
Sure, trading for Paul goes far beyond what the 38-year old floor general would bring on the court. Paul should give the Warriors a ton of cap flexibility for the foreseeable future, since his contract for the 2023-24 season is fully non-guaranteed, while Poole's contract worth of around $30+ million per year may not be the best value for a shot-chucking guard who doesn't have the most ideal shot selection, defensive capabilities, and, perhaps most importantly, synergy with the team's best players.
However, for all of his flaws, Jordan Poole has still displayed his talent as an explosive scoring guard. Despite suffering a rough 2023-24 season, Poole still averaged 20+ points per game. Surely the Warriors could have acquired a player who would have been more of use to the team for the long-term.
One missed opportunity that could sting is that the Warriors reportedly may have had a chance to trade for Damian Lillard had they waited. Lillard reportedly would have considered the Warriors as a preferred trade destination, and superstars of his caliber usually get what they want, so that could have been a legitimate possibility. Just the thought of a Lillard-Curry backcourt would give opposing coaches nightmares given how game-breaking their range from deep is. And that's without considering Klay Thompson, another all-time great shooter.
The Lillard possibility may be a pipe dream, but a more realistic scenario for the Dubs could have been to trade for OG Anunoby or a quality big man (maybe Pascal Siakam?). Poole alone won't get trades for those players done, but Poole certainly would make more sense as a trade piece for those teams since he should still have some room to grow given how young he is.
Nevertheless, the Warriors already decided to trade away Poole for Paul — a player that probably would have hit waivers had the Washington Wizards failed to find a suitable trade — before even watching how the trade market unfolded. And doing so even cost them Patrick Baldwin Jr., a player head coach Steve Kerr had high hopes for.
Sure, it's not a certainty that the Warriors could have found a better offer to get out of Poole's contract than the one they took from the Wizards. But the Warriors certainly owe it to themselves to at least try and make the most out of the already-limited trade assets they have.
