Getty Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young defends Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry during a game in 2018.
The Golden State Warriors front office personnel won’t be the only decision-makers in the organization this offseason.
President of Basketball Operations Bob Myers has stated openly that perennial All-NBA selection and two-time MVP Steph Curry, who is expected to sign his second $200-plus million deal with the team in the coming months, will have a loud say in who takes the floor alongside him to start next season. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are also expected to occupy equally prominent seats at the table.
On Thursday, July 8, Curry spoke to media members from a charity golf event in Lake Tahoe, providing insight into the process and the team’s thinking leading up to the NBA Draft later this month.
Asked Steph Curry about the Warriors’ offseason plans: “I know we’re staying patient. I’ve talked to Bob, I’ve talked to Joe, I’ve talked to Coach Kerr over the last couple weeks. Things are fluid, let’s put it that way.”
Full answer
“I talked to Bob (Myers), I’ve talked to Joe (Lacob), I’ve talked to coach (Steve) Kerr over the last couple weeks,” Curry said. “Things are fluid. Let’s put it that way.”
Curry, Warriors Have Multiple Options With Trove of Assets
GettyJames Wiseman looks to box out in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors are loaded with assets this offseason and, as such, they are also loaded with options.
Golden State owns the rights to the No. 7 and No. 14 picks in the draft, the only team besides the Orlando Magic with two lottery selections at their disposal. The Warriors also have second-year big man James Wiseman locked in under a rookie deal, and possess some salary cap flexibility in the form of more than $30 million in each of the next two years on Andrew Wiggins’ contract.
With Klay Thompson coming back from injury to make Golden State’s Big 3 whole again for the first time in two seasons, the simplest move (and the one that is arguably best for the team’s long-term future) is to run it back with the current roster and add two lottery picks to the bench.
Davion Mitchell, a redshirt junior guard out of Baylor University, has reportedly caught the eye of several people within the Warriors organization. If the draft were today and Golden State still held the No. 7 pick, Kevin O’Connor, of The Ringer, believes Mitchell is the way they’d go.
“Mitchell measured shorter than teams were hoping at the NBA draft combine this week, but he still plays bigger than his body suggests as a gritty, strong defender,” O’Connor wrote in his latest mock draft, published June, 25. “The Warriors could use a scorer off the bench like him, too. If you consider what Golden State was missing last season, it’s a player like him. Mitchell could help now, and be a bridge toward sustaining success into the future.”
If the Warriors retain the 14th pick, O’Connor believes they would target 19-year-old Usman Garuba, of Real Madrid. The 6-foot, 9-inch forward could prove the heir-apparent to Green as a “small-ball center with a relentless attitude,” O’Connor wrote.
Warriors Could Also Play Trading Game for Superstar Talent
GettyDamian Lillard reacts after his three point basket in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets.
Golden State could also trade their two lottery picks, along with Wiseman, Wiggins’ contract and likely future assets in the name of a “win-now” move.
The team has been linked in trade rumors to Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons and others, all of whom are expected to be available via the trade market in the offseason for one reason or another.
The assets the Warriors can piece together would likely rival, or surpass, most other potential deals for any of the several stars the team might pursue. The Wiggins contract makes the money side of the transactions plausible in any such deal.
“It’s a great position to be in,” Curry said Thursday. “We do have a lot to work with, with potential picks, guys coming back, hopefully enticing some free agents to come out to the Bay and be a part of a winning organization.”
“I feel like everything’s on the table at this point,” he continued. “I know nothing really happens until after the Finals and you really get down to, ‘What are we really trying to do? What do we need?’ I know we’re staying patient.”