Reports: Draymond expected to opt out of contract; GSW taking calls on Poole and Kuminga; GSW trying to move down in draft
GSW will try to bring Dray back
A flurry of rumors yesterday about GSW maneuvering behind the scenes. Keep in mind that it is mandatory for GMs to take trade offers and call around the league to gauge the value of the players and draft picks. Until there’s more detail, this is not a fire, this is not even smoke. It’s rumors about smoke.
The bit about Dray opting out is the only real report, and it’s not surprising because if GSW brings Dray back, it will have to be at a discount starting this year.
Green, 33, has a $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and could choose to opt out of his Warriors contract and enter free agency this summer. Andscape's Marc Spears reported Friday on ESPN's "NBA Today" that Golden State is preparing for that exact scenario.
"The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his $26 million contract, I'm being told," Spears stated. "But Joe Lacob, [Mike] Dunleavy, the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back."
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported, citing sources, that the Warriors plan on discussing a multiyear contract with Green this offseason.
"The Warriors intend to discuss a new multi-year contract with Green, either via an opt-in and extend or an entirely new deal after an opt-out, sources briefed on the matter tell The Athletic," Charania and Slater wrote. "Green has leverage: He is expected to have multiple playoff-contending teams in pursuit if he enters the open market, sources added.
"But both Green and the Warriors appear intent on discussing an extension to their partnership, if the price is right. He just finished his 11th season with the franchise."
The Golden State Warriors have a lot of decisions to make heading into this offseason. They made some big front office news on Friday following the departure of former general manager Bob Myers. Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be tasked with trying to maximize this team's window and re-making a championship contender. In doing so, he'll have to make some choices on a few players already on the roster, most notably Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors will need to either trade both players or get them to buy into and fit with the current roster. Should the Warriors decide to trade either of them, there will be no shortage of interest teams as several have already reached out to test the market as per Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
Golden State could look to move back or out of the selection, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported, citing sources.
This comes after ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported earlier this week, citing sources, that the Warriors are looking to potentially move up in next week's draft, and could use 20-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga as a trade chip to make it happen.
"The Warriors are exploring the option of acquiring a top pick for Jonathan Kuminga, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. Sources have also told me the Warriors are looking to move back or out of this selection," O'Connor wrote. "It's one of the trends for teams picking in the middle of the first round: Who will move down with a team looking to consolidate multiple firsts?"
If the Warriors keep the pick, O'Connor has them selecting Santa Clara sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski, who he describes as a blend of Donte DiVincenzo and D'Angelo Russell.
so just saw this on: DDV going to be too expensive, as we all anticipated:
https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/divincenzo-pricy-warriors-retain/1634515/
This is not about anything I have written the last few weeks. But it gives me hope that Golden State is at least considering backing out of the first round and/or trading Poole and/or Kuminga. I love Kuminga but apparently he was hanging his head and whining about playing time. In other words he was acting as though it was all about him. Which is how Poole acts all the time. However talented these cats may be, you cannot have 10 or 20 percent of your roster acting as if they mattered more than the group. It doesn't work. It will never work. Solve those problems by admitting less is more. This roster needs a talented and athletic and focused 3/4 player who can go 15 or 20 minutes a night and also handle the spot start. The core and culture is championship level. The Joker is a freak. An unhappy freak, but oh well. Subtract Curry and The Joker and LeBron and Giannis and Tatum from their rosters. Is there a more talented and experienced and competitive roster than the Warriors? I think not. The backcourt is the strength of this team with Steph and Klay and Donte and G2 and the troubled child Poole. That is the deepest set of guards in the league. They need to play three at all times to keep the floor spread in the new no post player NBA. If they add a good 3/4 then you have Looney and Dray and Wiggins and Kuminga and the incoming 3/4. That core can win again given health and focus and a little luck. The vets need to play mins early and get off to a good start. Winning is a habit. So is wandering around the court being clueless. JaMichael is too slow athletically and processing info. The hardest thing to do as a person or a franchise is to play through or walk through a bad stretch. Last year was awful. Wiggins absence was huge. Poole acted the fool. I have moral and philosophical and ethical problems with the draft. But the truth is the draft is no longer the answer unless you are in the first 5 or 6 picks. You can find kids to plug and play but the draft is a stupid way to do it. Given the financial payout. Especially the diluted first round. All these kids coming in without college and one and dones, and bored sophomores dilute the first round. It isn't like the past where there would be busts in the first round, but 10 or 12 or 15 kids would be useful NBA players and some would be stars. But even back in the day that was a 50% hit rate. And a 50% lose rate. You can find good players in the second round or you can identify useful free agent types and draft them in the second round to make sure that you get them. The few snatches of useful babble online and in the press seem to indicate that the Warriors are continuing to think outside the box and trust their scouting folks and their developmental coaching process. Someone needs to have a come to Jesus conversation with Poole and JK. Poole needs to shut up and stop dribbling. He hit so many catch and shoot jumpers a year ago. And that opened up his drive. He would catch defenders running at him and upfake or pump fake or Euro step off the catch. He also needs to stop being a swinging door defensively. JK needs to attach himself to Dray. Shut up and understand that every rebound he pulls down is the equivalent of a made three pointer. Looney and Dray get it. Rebound the damn ball and feed the shooters. Donte has games with zero or two or three points and is high single digits in rebounds and assists and being an annoying defensive presence. GP2 is a 2/3 in reality and the best on ball defender regarding opposing 1/2's. If they can salvage Poole and JK or get a plug and play vet or rookie, this group is good enough to win now.