After losing in the play-in tournament last season, the Golden State Warriors were hoping to make some much-needed roster upgrades to help star point guard Steph Curry win his fifth NBA championship. At the start of the summer, Golden State was tied to several free agents, but they somehow struck out on all of them.
While the fans may be itching for something drastic, the team is not feeling any pressure to make a desperate move. In fact, according to one ESPN insider, the Warriors are content with running it back, even knowing that they will not be part of the championship conversation.
“They only have room for some minimums left, so the reality is that they’re bringing a lot of it back together,” said Anthony Slater on NBA Today. “The Warriors want the ability to make moves in-season, in free agency next year. But [The Warriors are] just fine running back with this kinda older 37-win core and understanding they’re not necessarily a part of the title conversation. I talked to Steve Kerr, and he laid out his thoughts on this moment for the franchise. There’s a lot of angst, but he said to me that ‘I didn’t think we were in the running for LeBron. Everyone kept saying we were, but it never seemed serious to me.’ They always planned to bring the team back together; they didn’t make any big-swing trades. This is their static situation right now.”
Initially, the Warriors had a strong start this summer. They drafted Yaxel Lendeborg in the draft, and then re-signed Kristaps Porzingis to a team-friendly deal. In free agency, however, the Warriors’ options were limited. They were quickly ruled out of the Giannis sweepstakes and never stood a chance to trade for Kawhi Leonard. So, with only so much flexibility, their best chance for real change was LeBron James, who was deciding between the Warriors, Heat, 76ers, and Cavaliers.
In a dream scenario, the Warriors would have landed LeBron or Giannis and re-signed Green to put them back on the map. But, according to the Warriors, they were never actually in consideration for James, despite the reports. They believe LeBron was turned off from joining due to their history together, which includes four Finals showdowns. It makes you wonder if LeBron and Steph might have teamed up on a different team if they had the chance.
Nevertheless, when James opted to sign with the 76ers, the Warriors were left with little other choice than to run it back with their current roster, but they have no delusions. As presently constructed, they know they aren’t in a position to win the title, but they are embracing a new reality as focus shifts to the future.
For Steph, the situation has never been more unstable, and his loyalty is being tested like never before. As someone who has won at the highest levels, the Warriors’ struggles have not been easy to endure, and now he’s being asked to waste even more of what little time he has left in the NBA.
