The Golden State Warriors seemed to be in a prime position to contend for years after their 2022 NBA Championship win, with a young core surrounding their veterans. But in just two seasons, the team is looking drastically different and with no clear direction in sight. They’ve lost major stars such as Jordan Poole, Chris Paul, and Klay Thompson in the last 12 months for essentially no returning assets.
Jordan Poole had earned the reputation of being the Warriors’ future, something the franchise agreed with when they handed him a 4-year, $128 million contract after the 2022 title. But that led to beef between Poole and Green which prompted Green to punch Poole during practice and ruin team camaraderie.
Poole would have an average season before melting down in the 2023 Playoffs, leading the Warriors to trade him to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. The Warriors sent real assets (Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, 2027 second-round pick 2030 top-20 protected first-round pick, cash) to the Wizards to take on Poole’s long-term money for Paul’s expiring contract.
From a future franchise cornerstone to being dumped for a 40-year-old point guard is a steep and quick fall. But Paul didn’t fare much better, averaging 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in his only season with the Warriors where the franchise couldn’t even make the Playoffs. Despite trying to trade Paul for a player like Paul George, the Warriors were forced to waive him and lose him for free before the San Antonio Spurs snatched him up in free agency.
The Warriors had the chance to trade Paul away with Andrew Wiggins to acquire former All-Star Zach LaVine, but chose to pass on that offer as well.
The most egregious loss for no return is Klay Thompson, as the franchise legend walked out in humiliating fashion for the front office. After reportedly turning down a two-year, $48 million contract in search of a bigger payday, Thompson ultimately left on a three-year, $50 million deal to the rival Dallas Mavericks. Klay chose to take a pay cut to make the move happen, with the Warriors getting two undisclosed second-round picks in return.
The total asset gain for the Warriors for these three stars is negligible. The two picks they received for Klay were to avoid taking on salary, as the Mavericks sent a talented young star like Josh Green to the Hornets to open up salary space for Klay instead of just trading Green to the Warriors.
Given they sent a protected first-round pick to offload Poole to the Wizards, these three players have led to a negative asset return for the Warriors. The franchise is motivated to compete for a championship, but this sort of asset management shows why their dynasty is officially over, despite Curry still being one of the best guards in the NBA.
Is The Championship Window Shut For The Warriors?
With Stephen Curry on the roster, there is pressure on the Warriors to continue contending for titles before they alienate the greatest player in franchise history. But losing players like Poole, Paul, and Klay for nothing has made that prospect much harder.
The Warriors are gonna rely heavily on sophomore Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis while hoping Jonathan Kuminga can step up as Curry’s co-star and that Andrew Wiggins shows flashes of the star we saw in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Even if all that happens and Draymond Green manages to not be suspended for multiple games in the season, the Warriors will be long shots for a top-six seed.
They do have a $17.5 million trade exception to show for the Thompson deal, which could help them make additional deals down the road. But with their refusal to take on Josh Green, who’s on an inexpensive long-term contract, it indicates they’re targeting salary relief in the short term before doing anything else.
The Warriors could wait for the market to reveal a star-level player that they can go after, like how they tried with George. But if they keep waiting, there’s a chance the franchise will miss the Playoffs for the fourth time in the last six seasons with Curry on the roster.
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