GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. on roster moves, JK & Moody extensions, Wiggins
From MDJ’s press conference yesterday
Quotes from Mike Dunleavy Jr. Media Availability, 2024-09-26
Do you enter this season knowing you're probably going to want to make some roster moves at some point, or are you sitting back, wanting a large sample of what this team is?
Yeah, I think we've got to see what this team is. It's a really talented team. I think there are a lot of ways we can be good, which is exciting. You know, we have a generational talent in Steph Curry, we’ve got Draymond Green, who's just one of the more unique all-around players in the NBA. And then, after that, we've got a ton of different pieces—depth, youth, experience — just all the things you want in a team. We'll take a look at it and see where we're at. The good news is we've got plenty of ways to get better from the outside, but right now, we're fully behind this team, and we think they're going to have a great year.
There's talk with the deadline on these rookie extensions for Kuminga and Moody. Where are you right now? Would you be disappointed if you didn't get extensions done with both of those by October 31?
Yeah, we're working through that with them and their representation right now. We've got a few more weeks—good, positive conversations. Without getting into too much detail, I think regardless of whether we get something done or not, we want those guys here. Just because you don’t get an extension done doesn’t mean they’re not going to be here for a long time. We'll still have their rights in free agency if we can't come to an agreement by the 31st. And I think for them, the most important thing is we get through these next few weeks with a deal or not a deal. But what matters is they have great seasons, and whether they sign an extension or not, we’re all operating with the same thought process, and we'll see how it goes.
With Jordan, he was the last one you had a decision on, and he had played more—he'd started a bunch of games. Is there a little more clarity with both Kuminga and Moody than you had with Jordan?
Yeah, absolutely, good question. I think the last time around with Jordan, coming off an NBA championship, your mindset and feelings about things are maybe skewed in some ways. But with Moses and JK, we feel good about those guys. They've been here, we know what's under the hood, we know those guys well. So yeah, the jump you usually take from your third year to the fourth year, we want to see what that is. But I don't think we have to wait for that to get a deal done.
When it comes to the improvements you're seeing with the team, could you share a little bit more about that? What do the analytics tell you? What's on paper, and what's the feel for this roster?
Yeah, I mean, the biggest areas we need to improve are defending at a high level. We’ve got to be in the top five, six, seven in the league in defense, at least. That's been the recipe here all along. You talk about the championship years—back in ‘22, we were second in the league in defense. We got off to a good start, we defended. So, looking at this roster, I go down the list, and I think everybody can guard their position. I think guys can guard multiple positions. I don't see a lot of holes defensively in one-on-one matchups, which is a good place to start.
From there, Steve will probably touch on this more, but we've got to be better in transition—both ways. Offensively, if we want to improve our offense, we’ve got to get out and run more. But when we do, we’ve got to be efficient in finishing, in scoring, or drawing fouls—whatever it is. We've been pretty poor the last couple of years, not only in how much we've gotten out and run, but also in how effective we've been. So, those are the two areas we need to hone in on, and I know Steve will dive into that more.
Who do you see as this team's number two scorer?
Well, I think the positive of that is it's a little bit unknown. So, if you're an opponent, you’re asking, “Who do we need to stop besides Steph Curry?” The good news is, maybe they don’t know either. But I think for us, whether it’s Wiggins, JK, or Brandin—he can score the ball. I think we’ve got a lot of ways to do it, and some nights, it's going to be different guys. But as I alluded to earlier, I think the uncertainty and the unknown is exciting. We've got some things to figure out.
What's your sense of where Andrew Wiggins is at entering this year? Obviously, it's a big season for him, and I know he recently experienced a personal tragedy. What's your sense of where he's at?
I think he's highly motivated coming off of last year. I think he'd be the first to admit he didn’t have his best season, but he's been in the gym all summer. I can just sense a little bit of a different vibe from him this time of year. His body looks great, he's in good shape, ready to go. And yeah, he's been through a lot personally, but as far as the basketball part of it, I think he's in a good spot, and we're optimistic he's going to have a great season.
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How flexible do you feel to make an in-season trade? And I guess the apron that you talked about—how much of an inhibitor do you feel that will be? And do you plan to be aggressive?
Yeah, I mean, that's the deal here. You're always looking to get better, to improve your team. I think we've got a lot of ways to do that. We've got a lot of good basketball players, and on top of that, we've retained most of our assets. So, we've got ways to improve, and we'll be aggressive. That's kind of always been the deal here, at least as long as I've been around. Does that mean we're definitely going to do something? No. I mean, we were super aggressive last year around the deadline and didn’t do a whole lot. You’ve got to have a partner. Making deals in this league can be tough, but the effort and urgency will always be there.
Feels like we’re due the next installment of #DubNationHQRank…
@DFiB how many hours to go??