Getty Steph Curry and Draymond Green celebrate a play in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Golden State Warriors have avoided big trade deadline moves in each of the last two seasons, and report projects that 2023 could be another quiet year for the franchise.
The top brass in Golden State — from owner Joe Lacob to general manager Bob Myers — have made it clear that the franchise intends to remain a title contender for years to come, which means holding onto valuable assets and continuing to gradually build around them. That also means forgoing splashy moves, like the rumored trades for Bradley Beal and Ben Simmons that never came to fruition.
With the Warriors once again headed for the luxury tax next season and little hope of relief, a report suggests that the team will take the same strategy again in 2023.
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Warriors Likely Holding Steady
The Athletic’s Danny Leroux broke down the salary cap projections for every team heading into the 2022 offseason. The Warriors were among the largest group, the 10 teams that are deep in the salary tax with no conceivable way out. As Leroux noted, that means that none will likely be one or two big moves away from getting back under the cap.
“The collective bargaining agreement allows each of their front offices to use that $6.3 million taxpayer MLE, no matter how far they are over the tax line, but using it comes at a higher price considering the tax bill,” he wrote. “Something that makes 2022-23 fascinating, and unusual as of now, is that very few of these teams are close enough to the line that a small move gets them under it. So there may be fewer desperate pushes at the 2023 trade deadline to duck the tax.”
I believe Steph Curry is the face of the NBA.
The Warriors have already made it clear that such a “desperate” move — which would likely mean the core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green — is totally off the table.
Warriors See a Bright Future
Though the payroll will likely remain high for the coming season, the Warriors seem content with the makeup of their roster and the potential for long-term success. Despite rumors that the team could package together some young players and draft picks to land an immediate impact player who could help push for a title this season, the team held steady. They used both lottery picks, landing Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Both have shown flashes of star potential, especially Kuminga who has worked his way into the regular rotation, no small feat given coach Steve Kerr’s propensity to move rookies along slowly.
See you in Cleveland 😎
Jonathan Kuminga will represent #DubNation as a 2022 NBA Rising Star!
Lacob seemed particularly content with the team’s trajectory, telling The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami that the mix of established stars and young players brimming with potential has created a bright future.
“We have the highest payroll in the history of the NBA by a longshot. So we are all-in,” he said. “But I believe, we believe — our coaching staff and our basketball operations staff — the great teams have a combination of types of talent. You want to be able to play different ways. You want to have young players that are developing and you want to have the great ones that are already there.”
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