The Warriors walked into this offseason knowing they couldn’t just bring back basically the same group and hope things magically got better. Stephen Curry still put up 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists at 38 years old, but the team finished only 37-45, landed 10th in the Western Conference, and ranked 22nd in scoring at 114.6 points per game.
Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January, Kristaps Porzingis played just 15 games after coming over at the deadline, and Moses Moody is also recovering from a major knee injury. So Golden State really needed another star or at least one elite starter if they wanted to keep Curry’s final years meaningful.
The front office clearly got that part. They were connected to almost every big name on the market. But understanding the problem and actually solving it turned out to be two completely different things. Golden State went from dreaming about Giannis Antetokounmpo, to calling about Jaylen Brown, to building a possible Anthony Davis and LeBron James package, and every single idea fell apart.
The Warriors spent the whole summer aiming at the biggest possible move, waited a long time for LeBron, and now they’re stuck with an old and injured roster that won 37 games last year. Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic even thinks Stephen Curry and the Warriors front office might not be on the same page anymore. He said Curry is probably getting tired of all the star chasing, and to be fair, he definitely should be after so little success.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Was Always The Main Dream
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the guy Golden State wanted more than anybody else, and that chase actually started before the offseason even began. The Warriors spoke with the Bucks around the February trade deadline, and Draymond Green was included in some of the possible frameworks, but those talks never really gained serious traction.
The interest made total sense on the basketball side. Giannis averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season while posting a career-high 65.8% true shooting. His pressure at the rim would have created ridiculous space for Curry. A Curry-Giannis pick-and-roll would have been almost impossible to defend. Giannis also would have given the Warriors the size, rebounding, rim pressure, and transition offense they were missing.
Golden State eventually moved Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Porzingis, which helped the current roster a bit but also took away one of the few younger pieces that could have headlined another big package.
Jake Fischer reported in June that the Warriors weren’t really involved in the Bucks’ serious summer talks. Once the Heat jumped in with Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and a massive draft pick haul, Golden State had no real way to compete without putting nearly every future first-rounder on the table.
This miss wasn’t really about the Warriors not trying. It showed that their assets simply weren’t viewed at the same level. Brandin Podziemski is a solid young guard, and Yaxel Lendeborg looked excellent while winning Summer League MVP, but neither carried the trade value of a package with four young players and a bunch of picks. The Warriors spent years trying to build for the present and future at the same time, but when a top-five player finally became available, they couldn’t convince themselves to offer enough to win the bidding.
In my opinion, missing Giannis was painful but understandable. The bigger mistake happened years earlier, when Golden State used premium draft picks on bad choices, held onto several young players too long, and never turned that group into one real huge trade asset.
Didn’t Even Discuss Jaylen Brown That Much
After Giannis went to the Heat, the Warriors shifted toward Jaylen Brown, who would have been a pretty direct replacement for the injured Butler. Brown was coming off the best statistical season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 34.7% from three.
According to Brett Siegel, Golden State contacted the Celtics and was willing to discuss Butler plus future draft assets. The Celtics just weren’t interested in the Warriors’ pieces and didn’t seriously entertain the offer. Per Bill Simmons, the Warriors didn’t send a counteroffer after that. That feels pretty wild, because Brown was probably the best healthy star they had a real chance to chase after Butler’s injury.
The 76ers eventually landed Brown by sending Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. George has major health questions and will make $54.0 million next season, but his contract gives the Celtics more future flexibility. The draft compensation also helped them move away from Brown’s remaining deal and possible extension.
Golden State would have loved Brown because the roster currently has a giant hole at the wing. Butler probably won’t return until around February, Moody could miss most or all of the season, and asking rookie Lendeborg to immediately become a full-time starter is a lot to ask. Brown would have given Curry a healthy second option from opening night instead of forcing the Warriors to survive several months with Green and Porzingis as the next biggest names.
Still, this wasn’t just another unlucky rejection. The Brown miss showed how little value the league currently sees in the Warriors’ roster outside of Curry. Butler is recovering from an ACL tear, Green is deep into his career, Porzingis has constant availability questions, and the younger group doesn’t include an obvious future All-Star.
The Wizards Refused To Move Anthony Davis For Scraps
Anthony Davis became the next major idea, although his pursuit was connected to the Warriors’ dream of signing LeBron. Golden State expressed trade interest in Davis, while they considered moving Butler and draft assets. The Wizards rejected the inquiries because they weren’t planning to make Davis available before the new season.
Davis would have been a risky target, but the basketball fit was still huge. He posted 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in only 20 games last season, and his health is the obvious reason teams can’t value him like a superstar anymore. Even so, a healthy Davis remains one of the best defensive big men in the league. Putting him behind Curry would have finally given the Warriors elite size instead of another season where they need Draymond to battle centers every night.
The funny part is that the whole plan depended on several things happening in the right order. LeBron needed to commit first, Green needed to accept a new contract structure, and then the Wizards needed to become interested in a Butler-based package. Washington killed the entire idea at the first checkpoint, so Golden State never got close to creating the Curry-LeBron-Davis-Green lineup people were imagining.
I honestly think the Warriors were right not to chase Davis alone at any price. He is 33, played only 20 games last season, and would have created another roster built around injured veterans. Still, the failed inquiry was only there because James reportedly wanted to play alongside Davis to commit to the Warriors, which in the end they couldn’t provide.
LeBron Chose The Better Situation For A Title
LeBron James was the final target and the one that kept the entire offseason on hold. Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option to create flexibility, Curry helped recruit LeBron, and the Warriors had a path to offer the $15.0 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. For a few weeks, the idea of Curry and LeBron finally becoming teammates looked possible, even if Golden State was always behind other contenders.
Then LeBron chose the 76ers for only two years and $8.0 million, including a player option. That contract made the message super clear because the Warriors could have paid more money. LeBron didn’t choose the largest salary. He chose the roster with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Brown, and VJ Edgecombe, while Golden State offered Curry, an injured Butler, an injury-prone Porzingis, Green, and a lot of hope.
LeBron still put up 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last season, so even at 41, he would have changed everything for the Warriors. Curry would have received another elite playmaker, LeBron would have received the best off-ball scorer ever, and Steve Kerr could have used both of them in actions that no defense wants to see.
The front office deserves the most criticism here because they had 24 days after LeBron announced he was leaving the Lakers, while several good free agents and trade options disappeared. The Warriors already knew they had a tougher path to contention than the 76ers. Anthony Slater reported that the organization believed LeBron was trending elsewhere for weeks, but Golden State still allowed the decision to control its entire summer.
Missing LeBron wasn’t embarrassing by itself. Waiting so long without improving the roster around the pursuit was. The Warriors ended the chase with no Giannis, no Brown, no Davis, and no LeBron, then moved back toward re-signing Green and finalizing De’Anthony Melton’s deal. That is basically returning to a 37-win core and hoping Curry stays healthy, Butler returns at a high level, Porzingis finally plays consistently, and Lendeborg is ready immediately.
Golden State tried to create one final superteam, but every star saw the same thing. The Warriors have Curry, history, and a great basketball system, but they don’t have the assets of a rebuilding team or the talented roster of a contender. Giannis went to his preferred city, Boston preferred the flexibility, Davis stayed because the Wizards suddenly could ask for much more, and LeBron chose the better championship situation.
