If you were breathlessly working the NBA trade machine all through June and July, trying to find ways for the Golden State Warriors to land some big-time star or other–Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo–then you were probably too distracted to miss what became obvious once the summer got rolling. The Warriors had plans to help push the team forward, but it was never going to involve a major shift of the roster.
Instead, the plan was to build up the young players the team already had, work rookie draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg into the mix and press forward into the season to see if the group could stay healthy. That included those already with injury concerns, like Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody coming back from knee surgeries, as well as Kristaps Porzingis and Stephen Curry, who were dealing with persistent health problems.
Still, throughout the early stage of the summer, there was a hope that LeBron James would choose to close out his career playing alongside Curry in the Bay Area. There was some logic to James making that choice–he and Curry have mutual admiration, James respects coach Steve Kerr and San Francisco is not far from James’ L.A. home. But it never made real basketball sense. And Kerr acknowledged this week it was never quite going to happen.
Warriors Trade Rumor Reality: ‘There Never Were’
Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Kerr conceded that the notion of James joining the Warriors was more an agent/media fantasy than a reality. In fact, the Warriors were not planning to overhaul the roster this summer and big names mentioned in connection with the Dubs were never actually in play.
“I know LeBron well enough, now, having coached him at the Olympics, to know that he researches everything,” Kerr said. “When he’s serious about something, he’s going to do his homework. And there was no homework being done, on his part.
“Like, I know he was talking to Steph and Draymond. They were recruiting him. But that’s different. That’s player-to-player. Once free agency started, and all those rumors were out there — trust me, there would’ve been very serious conversations. And there never were. And so I never felt like we were even in the mix.”
Changing Approach to System
Instead, as Kerr has repeatedly explained, the Warriors’ approach this offseason was to try to alter the way they play, to pull themselves out of the once-innovative system that has long defined the team under Kerr, and with Curry as the main driver, and move to a different style. The Warriors have not really been healthy, so it is difficult, after three winless games, to say whether it is working.
But it remains the plan., even if it is not comfortable for the team or coaches.
“A lot of things we’re doing over the last year, now, are foreign to me,” Kerr said. “And so I’m learning from our coaches … a lot of the drill work, and philosophical stuff. But the way I like to put it, though: Your values can’t change. But your ideas have to.”
Warriors’ Steve Kerr Makes Admission About Star Trade Rumors