GM Bob Myers reportedly close to walking away from Warriors
The Golden State Warriors appear about to lose their biggest free agent.
All season long there have been rumblings that team president and general manager Bob Myers — the former agent turned front office guru who was the key architect of the four-time champion Warriors — was ready to step away. The question was if this was a leverage play by the former agent for more money or power, or was he really done and wanted space? Those questions still loom, but Shams Charania of The Athletic says the sides are not talking.
The Golden State Warriors and president of basketball operations Bob Myers have had no substantial contract extension talks in months and the sides are bracing for the likelihood that Myers could walk away from the franchise, league sources told The Athletic. His contract is up on June 30.
Both sides exchanged offers and counter-offers several months ago, and there has since been no traction on a new deal, league sources say. The Warriors have not yet presented an offer that has blown Myers away, but there’s also a growing sense that even a competitive market offer — near the top of the executive food chain — may not keep Myers with the franchise.
If this is about money — and it’s always about money — the clues are in the phrasings of this report. The Warriors believe offering “near the top” of executives’ salaries will not blow Myers away. Or, translated, Myers thinks he’s earned the right to be the highest-paid executive in the league, he has a sense of his value, and the Warriors haven’t been willing to go there.
How this plays out could impact an important offseason for Golden State. Draymond Green has a $27.5 million player option he is widely expected to opt out of unless the Warriors extend him off of it. Coach Steve Kerr was clear he wants Green back — even if his punch of Jordan Poole threw the team off all season — but the Warriors will want those multiple years at a lower number than that $27.5 million. For his part, Green commented on Chrania’s Instagram post about Myers potentially leaving, “that sucks.”
Klay Thompson also can be extended, he is set to make $43.2 million next season but he is not a max player anymore and the Warriors will want him back at a lower number.
Myers has a strong relationship with the Warriors’ players, and it’s much easier for him to walk into a room and talk to Green and Thompson about taking less than anyone else (and it wouldn’t be an easy pitch for him). That’s not even getting into possible trades of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and others to add depth to the roster.
We’ll know how the Myers drama will play out before the NBA Draft on June 22. While the Warriors pick at No. 19, the real drama will be in trades and player movement, and Golden State will need whoever will be in charge beyond June 30 to be the person steering the ship that night.
If it’s not Myers, expect the Warriors to promote from within rather than bring in someone from the outside that would change the franchise culture.
Check out more on the Warriors
Draymond Green says punching Poole reason Warriors not still playing, Kerr... Stephen Curry partners with top prospect Scoot Henderson to provide support,... Warriors may not be ready to end dynasty, but hard choices await
GM Bob Myers reportedly close to walking away from Warriors originally appeared on NBCSports.com
