Subscribe
Follow Us
Nobody can discredit the Golden State Warriors for what they have been able to achieve over the last decade. The trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green won four championships together, and they will forever be remembered as one of the greatest cores in league history. However, all good things must come to an end at some point, as Thompson ended his tenure with the franchise after 13 years and a ton of memories. Although Curry and Green remain, Golden State now enters a new era, one in which the organization's immediate championship pursuit is a major question mark.
No matter what their record is, the Warriors are always a threat as long as Curry is on the court. Time and time again, he has been able to elevate the Warriors to new heights, even when the rest of the team was struggling with their confidence. Just last season, the Warriors didn't have much of an identity, yet Curry still brought them to the doorsteps of the playoffs. The problem for the two-time MVP is that, despite his heroics, the Warriors still missed the postseason in what is a tightly contested Western Conference.
Change is inevitable for every organization in the NBA. The problem pertaining to the Warriors is that their championship glory over the last several years has masked the problems that existed within the walls of the franchise. Now, after trading Jordan Poole last season and seeing Thompson leave in free agency this summer, reality has begun to set in for the Warriors. Even so, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his front office have been relentless in their analytical and thorough approach to building a contending team around Curry.
If the Warriors had their way this offseason, there would be a new All-Star on this roster next to Curry and Green. Paul George and Lauri Markkanen were both prominent names the Warriors held strong interest in on the trade market, yet no real deal ever materialized. As a result, Dunleavy and the Warriors remained steadfast in preserving their future. More specifically, the focus now shifts to Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis as the next focal points in order to keep the Warriors in the title picture.
Whether or not this young group can thrive and provide the Warriors with the secondary production that was missing a season ago will not only answer the questions about this team's playoff potential but also shed light on the futures of Curry and Green.
The bottom line is that Steph and Draymond don't want to play the role of babysitters for the Warriors. Building off this, owner Joe Lacob also doesn't want to waste the final years he may have with Curry and Green on the roster. Even though these two future Hall of Famers have already cemented their legacy with Golden State, claiming a fifth and potentially final ring is the goal.
At this very moment, with the Warriors' chances of winning another championship very much a blur, so are the futures of the two stars. The good news from the organization's perspective is that Curry and Green are still under contract. Curry still has two years left on his current deal, including the 2024-25 season, and Green can potentially opt out of the final year of his contract after the 2025-26 season. After just securing his first and only gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, Steph now returns to the Warriors and will have conversations about possibly receiving a one-year extension, which would align his contract with that of Green's.
“We will talk about that too. I mean, look, that guy, whatever he wants,” Dunleavy said of upcoming extension talks with Curry earlier this offseason. “I'd say, pretty confident he'll be a Warrior for life.”
Whereas an extension is in play for Curry, Green could be closer to retirement. The four-time All-Star has hinted at the fact that he only has a few more years left in his career, which could signal that Green will finish his current contract before retiring.
Overall, it appears as if this season is going to be the last chance for the Warriors to do something with Curry and Green still playing at a high level. That is why Golden State made some very interesting and eyebrow-raising moves in free agency.
Warriors key offseason additions and departures
Additions: G Buddy Hield (FA – PHI), F Kyle Anderson (FA – MIN), G De'Anthony Melton (FA – PHI), G/F Lindy Waters III (Trade – OKC)
Departures: G/F Klay Thompson (FA – DAL), G Chris Paul (FA – SAS), F/C Dario Saric (FA – DEN)
The Warriors will never be able to replace Thompson. Obviously, the team can find other scorers and shooters to fill his position, but the presence of Klay in the locker room and what he meant to this organization over the last decade can't be replicated by anyone. It is surely going to be a weird feeling for Steve Kerr, Curry, and Green to walk into training camp and the locker room without Thompson being around.
Nonetheless, the show must go on, and that seemed to be the mindset of the Warriors' front office based on the moves that they made.
Despite owning one of the league's highest tax bills over the last several seasons, Golden State made it their mission to create financial flexibility this offseason. After waiving Chris Paul and seeing that Thompson was going to be going elsewhere, this was the perfect opportunity for the Warriors to retool their roster, while also adding team-friendly contracts.
With the trade market going stale for the Warriors, they immediately turned to adding dynamic shooters who can not only help provide depth but also aid the team in multiple areas. As a result, Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson joined the team as three experienced veterans.
If there is one player who can do his best to replace Thompson on the court, it is certainly Hield because of his three-point shooting abilities off-the-ball next to a player like Steph. Since Hield entered the league in 2016, he has made 1,924 total threes, the second-most in the league behind only Curry. Coincidentally enough, both Hield and Thompson are connected through their Bahamas backgrounds.
Over the last few seasons, Hield has grown more confident about making a splash off the bench. With the Warriors, the sharpshooter is going to be leaned on to not only come into the game and knock down threes, but also create scoring opportunities off the dribble, an area of Hield's game that oftentimes goes unnoticed.
Melton is another interesting name to discuss pertaining to the Warriors' style of play. Like Hield, Melton heads to Golden State after playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he brings a sense of toughness on defense in addition to his shooting abilities. The 26-year-old combo guard has spent the last two seasons in Philadelphia, averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37.9 percent from three-point range.
The interesting thing about Melton is that he can be a do-it-all type of guard in the sense that he is going to wear multiple hats. Melton can score off the dribble, he can be a stationary shooter, he can defend multiple positions, and he's the type of player to make the extra pass in order to set his teammates up for success. These are the types of players that have thrived in Kerr's system, and it is not hard to believe that the Warriors will look to utilize Melton in a way similar to how they used Donte DiVincenzo a few years ago.
Out of all the Warriors' free agency signings, Anderson may just be the most important. When you look at all of Golden State's championship runs, the one constant has been solid veteran play on the bench. Anderson is the epitome of a “glue guy,” and he can fill any role needed of him. The 30-year-old helped the Minnesota Timberwolves become one of the best defensive teams in the league last season, and he was utilized off the bench as a point-forward who could help facilitate his team's offense.
The Warriors have long been searching for consistent depth behind Green in the power forward position. Now, they finally have their answer after getting Anderson in a sign-and-trade during free agency.
All three signings the Warriors made in free agency put this team on a path to still be a threat in the West. However, the future of this franchise is still contingent on what happens with Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody to step up?
A variety of trade calls were made by the Warriors this offseason. Even before free agency began, Paul George was the focus of this organization. Given his two-way nature of play, George emerged as the star the Warriors were willing to relinquish future assets for in order to make another run at a championship.
Ultimately, trade talks fell apart between the Warriors and Clippers, leading to the team turning their attention towards Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. Between his rebounding and scoring abilities, Markkanen seemed like the best fit for what the Warriors needed both now and moving forward into a future without Curry.
While the Warriors were willing to part ways with Moses Moody and some future draft picks, trade discussions with the Jazz never advanced past early offers from Golden State.
It is not that the Warriors weren't trying to pull off a big trade, but one key detail was left out of every scenario discussed with the Clippers and Jazz. That outlier was Jonathan Kuminga.
When the Clippers wanted Kuminga included in any deal for George, the Warriors quickly backtracked and were unwilling to negotiate, league sources told ClutchPoints. This led to George then opting out of his contract and signing with the 76ers in free agency. Although the Jazz had their eyes on Brandin Podziemski, sources said, Kuminga was another player Utah was interested in during early talks regarding Markkanen. It turns out that the Jazz were not interested in trading Markkanen unless they were receiving a king's ransom, which the Warriors were not offering.
The Warriors hold high belief in Kuminga's abilities. The 21-year-old has shown tremendous growth through the years, and his breakout 2023-24 campaign may just be scratching the surface of what he can become moving forward. That is why the Warriors weren't willing to give up the former seventh overall pick in a trade this offseason.
Kuminga obviously emerged as one of the team's better scorers with his ability to drive downhill and play well above the rim due to his athletic abilities, but can he truly become “the guy” for this team on the wing? The cock has started for the Warriors and Kuminga, as a decision on his future is going to be made over the course of the 2024-25 season.
At this point in the offseason, the Warriors are done making moves. Kuminga isn't going to be traded before the season starts, and now the question is whether the team will give him a long-term extension. He is eligible to receive a five-year, $224 million max rookie extension, which would equate to the contracts recently received by Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner. While this is the maximum Kuminga can and wants to receive, it is much more likely that the team will be looking to keep the young forward on a deal worth roughly $150 million.
After all, Timberwolves standout forward Jaden McDaniels recently received a $131 million extension last summer. It is expected that a new deal for Kuminga would fall between McDaniels' deal and those of the max offers Wagner and Barnes received.
Of course, there is always the possibility that the Warriors simply wait until next offseason to get a deal done with Kuminga. He is going to be a restricted free agency, and there shouldn't be a need to rush a decision on a new contract since anything can occur over the course of the 2024-25 season. The last thing the Warriors want to do is tie themselves down financially again after moving out of the first and second tax aprons, so agreeing to a long-term deal with Kuminga right now wouldn't be wise.
In regards to Moody and what his future holds, the Warriors will certainly be exploring all of their options with the versatile wing. The fact that Golden State was including him in trade talks this offseason should signal that Moody is certainly a player that could be packaged with other assets ahead of the trade deadline for the Warriors to make a substantial roster upgrade.
As things stand right now, Kuminga and Moody will both be on the Warriors' roster entering training camp, and the organization is likely to expand both players' roles entering the 2024-25 season.
Warriors 2024-25 season outlook
The 2024-25 NBA season is going to be the most interesting season we have ever seen with Curry and Green on the Warriors roster.
At the start of their respective careers, both legends helped take Golden State from the bottom of the standings to being the golden standard of the league, no pun intended. Now, this upcoming season is a chance for the Warriors to preserve their legacy and possibly even expand it.
If the Warriors were to go on and win another championship, especially after Thompson left for Dallas, that would be quite an accomplishment. However, the Warriors are going to have to take things one step at a time because of all the uncertainty surrounding this roster.
Curry and Green are going to do their thing, but will the three free agency additions be able to fill the void Golden State had from their secondary production last season? Is Kuminga going to continue to evolve? Will Andrew Wiggins be able to retain his abilities and get back to playing like an All-Star on the wing?
These are all questions that dictate the Warriors future, and the answers to them will become more clear as the new season progresses. Ahead of training camp, Golden State is the biggest mystery in the NBA.
The Warriors have a competitive-looking roster, yet it is still hard to believe that this is what the team will look like at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Winning is all that matters to this franchise, which is why Golden State is bound to make some sort of major change over the next several months.
Nobody thought that the Warriors would have a chance to win the 2022 NBA Finals before they ended up claiming another championship. Could the same happen during the 2024-25 season?
