Why Steph should be Warriors' only guarantee this offseason
Why Steph should be Warriors' only guarantee this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Scooting his chair back, adjusting the microphone and beginning to stand up, Draymond Green thought he was done speaking to reporters 10 days ago after the Warriors’ 118-94 season-ending loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
One more question came.
Green’s voice leaned more towards disappointment than anger for the first 10 minutes he spoke. Each question was answered respectfully behind a curtain of shock. His voice then found a new spark from his final question, one that was all about someone Green used to spit hatred at.
"Ahh man, Chris was great,” Green said when asked about playing alongside Chris Paul this season. “I'm thankful and honored, happy as hell that I got the opportunity to play with him this year – that we all got the opportunity to be teammates with Chris. It's not something in a million years, as I've said a million times, that we would have ever imagined. Other than winning it couldn't have gone any better. I learned so much from him and built a relationship that will go beyond whether he's here next or not, whether I'm here next year or not.
"Man, extremely thankful for C. I haven't come across many guys like that, if any, in this league. It was just an honor to play with him. As a teammate, I hope we get to continue doing what we do here, in these uniforms. And man, I hope and pray that he's back and that I'm back, because it's an honor having him as a teammate. The way he competes, you love going to war with guys like that."
Did you catch that? Not Draymond being “thankful and honored.” Not being “happy as hell.” Not praying that Paul is back.
But Green himself praying that his own career with the Warriors continues. His mere mention of “whether I’m here next year or not” shouldn’t be ignored. Those words also weren’t Green hinting at anything.
Better yet, they were an acknowledgment of the inevitable: Everything has to be on the table for the Warriors right now. Nobody is fully safe, except for one player.
Steph Curry wearing a No. 30 Golden State jersey next season is the only guarantee of this Warriors offseason.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy seemingly gave their latest stamp of approval two days later that Green isn’t going anywhere, with Dunleavy saying “I can't imagine a scenario where he's not back.” And that is the likeliest scenario for the Warriors, and probably still the best for them, but Green knows drastic changes might have to come for this franchise to get back to contending at all for a championship.
Klay Thompson’s future of course is the biggest unknown of the Warriors’ offseason. A year after Green agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract to stay with the Warriors, Thompson enters unrestricted free agency with the real possibility his entire career isn’t for one team.
Curry and Green already have vouched for Thompson to remain a Warrior. So have Kerr and Dunleavy. There are layers to this, though. And several other layers to create a competent, affordable Warriors roster.
The $30 million owed to Paul, at 39 years old, can’t be on the Warriors’ books next season. Kevon Looney has gone from fans vouching for his statue to begin design outside of Chase Center a year ago to possibly being another avenue for the Warriors to save money. Only $3 million of Looney’s $8 million contract next season is guaranteed. Gary Payton II has a $9 million player option and already has mentioned being open to re-doing a deal for more years in San Francisco, yet the front office has to be at least a little worried about his mounting injury history.
Jordan Poole was traded by Dunleavy eight months after signing a four-year contract extension. Andrew Wiggins also agreed to a four-year contract extension that same day. Is he on his way out after a second straight disappointing season?
Wiggins’ contract – $26.3 million this season and $28.2 million next season before a $30.1 million player option – isn’t terrible, but his value around the league keeps falling. Kerr mentioned multiple times in his end-of-the-season presser how the Warriors hope Jonathan Kuminga develops into a 3. That could leave Wiggins on the outside looking in, finding a new home either this offseason or at next season’s trade deadline.
Kuminga looks to be the Warriors’ next great hope in having a young star. He’s extension-eligible this offseason, and he still remains their best trade asset. Moses Moody, taken seven picks after Kuminga in 2021, can either step in as the Warriors’ next starting shooting guard, be a key contributor off the bench, find himself fighting for minutes again or be on the trade block. The possibilities extend that far.
Rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis gave Golden State its best rookie class since adding Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Green in 2012. Neither seems to be going anywhere. If they can help pair a star next to Curry, however, Dunleavy hanging up would be irresponsible.
"There's no sympathy of 'Oh, you had this burden to carry.' That's what we get paid to do,” Curry said in Sacramento after the Warriors’ play-in loss. “Did everything in my power to be available to perform at the level I expect out of myself. I don't care what anybody else has to say. I'm going to keep doing that, with the perspective I'm blessed to play this game and I still have fun playing this game.
"I just want to win and be in the best situation to make that happen. That's what I'm looking forward to in the future."
This year's NBA Clutch Player of the Year being a Warrior next season is a guarantee. Everything else has at least a little mystery, and it’s up to Dunleavy and the rest of the front office to make sure Golden State still is Curry’s best situation to keep winning.
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