It didn’t take long to see that the operation was failing.
The Golden State Warriors were 19-24 in late January with Draymond Green suspended, Chris Paul injured and Klay Thompson stuck in a historically bad slump. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Andrew Wiggins — the spark plug of their championship season in 2022 — was benched off and on.
At the center of the chaos was Stephen Curry — not for his bad play or leadership but because superstars with the kind of resume he has aren’t afforded the luxury of just playing hard and hoping for the best.
Though the Warriors went 27-12 the rest of the way, they had already dug themselves in a deep enough hole, unable to wiggle up the rankings and barely warding off a young Houston Rockets team for the final Play-In spot.
It’s been a heck of a struggle in the Bay since their title in 2022. With Curry now closer to age 40 than age 30, the Golden State Warriors can’t withstand any more mediocrity.
Golden State Warriors See Doubt in The Mirror
When they stood on stage hoisting their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons, many people thought, well, here they go again.
After consecutive years of dealing with terrible injuries to their star players and hearing the talk about how their dynasty has officially crumbled, the Golden State Warriors rode doubt on their shoulders and conquered the NBA once again in 2022.
Even worse for the competition, the Golden State Warriors convinced themselves and the world that their recaptured dynasty would ride the wave of rising young talent and a versatile roster to more championships in the near future.
Of course, that was far from the case. The Warriors, though not remotely as bad as they were in 2020 and 2021, went through a similar struggle these past two seasons, fighting to stay above water and scrambling to recover a winning blueprint.
The Dubs added 38-year-old Chris Paul, a move that was semi-potent at the time, and at best, head-scratching in hindsight. In the process of adding Paul, the Warriors dumped a talented but flawed player in Jordan Poole, who is still under age 25.
With where they stand today, a significant overhaul is teetering. The Golden State Warriors are not in a position to contend and have just one player who is consistently star-material. Now the question is: how much will change and how soon will it happen?
Golden State Warriors 2024 Offseason Priorities
Head coach Steve Kerr and veteran guards Klay Thompson and Chris Paul can be free agents this summer, and young breakout star Jonathan Kuminga is eligible for an extension. Golden State is also deep into the salary and luxury tax hole, shoveling away $350 million in 2023 and $400 million this past season in costs. Owner Joe Lacob said on “The TK Show” podcast last week that exiting the tax entirely by next season is a massive priority, which leaves the door wide open for significant roster changes.
The Warriors saw a number of young players flash their shining potential in spurts last season. Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, and even Trayce Jackson-Davis were the few bright spots during a largely underwhelming season for the Dubs. But there’s only one issue: the Warriors are trying to develop young talent while being forced to stay in win-now mode because of Steph Curry.
It would be naive to think that the Warriors will bring back the same roster next season after watching them last season. The bottom line is that Golden State needs to bring in talent that can help them make another run at a title. If not, the Warriors would be effectively blowing off the ladder years of Steph Curry’s career. You must maximize Curry while he’s still playing at an elite level.
To best utilize Curry, the Warriors would likely be best suited by unloading huge contracts like Klay Thompson’s and Chris Paul’s and bringing in one superstar. With a core of Curry, Green, and another superstar they add, the Warriors would be positioned to win now while relying on the young talent in the second unit, helping to facilitate their development.
The Golden State Warriors Need to Make a Trade
In the world of NBA trades, only one team wins the trade 99% of the time. The Golden State Warriors need to be the team that wins the trade. The good news is that the Dubs have pieces they can utilize in a trade package for a star or even a borderline superstar.
Being the poster child for load management and having a rich injury history has dwindled Kawhi Leonard’s popularity among NBA fans in recent years. Since he led the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship in 2019, Leonard has missed over 150 games. In his 13-year career, he has missed nearly 350 games.
However, last season Leonard was able to flip the script, appearing in 68 games — the most since 2016-17.
With the Los Angeles Clippers finishing yet another season with major unfulfilled expectations, the likelihood of a sudden roster overhaul has gone way up. The Warriors can center a package around Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and a draft pick to bring in Kawhi Leonard and another contributing piece from the Clippers.
In a perfect world, the Golden State Warriors could move on from Chris Paul’s $30 million to take on Leonard’s $52 million cap hit next season. With Klay Thompson off the books, the Warriors would bring in a potent Curry-Leonard duo in 2024-25 while reducing costs.
With no more Thompson, Wiggins, and Paul, the Warriors can establish the re-emerging championship blueprint of featuring two stars and quality depth, allowing the 1-2 punch of Curry and Leonard to flourish with the young pieces following suit and getting more shine.
2024 may be the most important offseason for the Golden State Warriors in over a decade.
About The Author
Adel Ahmad, 23, is a Senior NBA Writer for the NBA on Total Apex Sports. He is a passionate NBA fan with a deep background in writing across the media, sports debate, and screenwriting for YouTube and TikTok.
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