The Warriors have had quite the eventful NBA offseason.
So far, Golden State has lost two future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honorees and has yet to replace them with the star power Dub Nation yearns to see.
ESPN's Bobby Marks assessed the Warriors’ busy offseason in his latest article, revealing what he believes to be Golden State’s most impactful transaction.
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“The impact transaction: The Warriors had two options this offseason with Klay Thompson: sign the future Hall of Famer and continue living in the luxury tax and first apron, or reroute him to a team such as Dallas in a sign-and-trade,” Marks wrote.
“Thompson to the [Dallas] Mavericks not only resulted in future financial flexibility but also brought back veterans [Kyle] Anderson and [Buddy] Hield as part of the trade. Golden State would also sign [De'Anthony] Melton to the $12.8 million non-tax midlevel exception.”
Losing Thompson to Dallas stunned Golden State, its fans and the rest of the NBA world. The 14-year veteran seemed to be a Warrior for life, for so long. However, things changed quickly.
But Thompson’s departure did, in fact, net Golden State some valuable assets, as Marks mentioned.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were able to land Anderson from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Hield from the Philadelphia 76ers, two proven veterans. Golden State, too, gained the financial flexibility needed to sign another solid role player from Philadelphia in Melton during free agency.
The trio of new Warriors helped the franchise quietly recover after losing half of the “Splash Brothers.”
The newcomers also can produce similarly to Thompson, if not better, in the aggregate. Thompson, who averaged 17.9 points on 38.7-percent shooting on 3-pointers during the 2023-24 NBA season, is in decline, and Hield, Anderson and Melton are three players coming off of impactful playoff runs.
Thompson, of course, shot 0 for 10 in the Warriors’ season-ending loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
In addition to revisiting Thompson’s departure, Marks discussed other moves that might be on the table for Golden State in the near future.
“What to watch for: Extensions for Stephen Curry, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody,” noted Marks. “Curry is extension eligible, but because of the over-38 rule, Golden State is allowed to only add one more season. A one-year, $62.6 million extension would keep Curry, 36, in a Warriors uniform through 2026-27.”
Re-signing Curry is a must for the Warriors.
Marks also added insight regarding Golden State’s younger prospects.
“The Warriors have until October to sign Kuminga and Moody to new contracts. Kuminga averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (4.8), assists (2.2) and field goal percentage (52.9%). Moody started nine games, averaging 12.6 points and shooting 39.5% on 3-pointers in those starts, and the Warriors were 28-18 when Moody played more than 15 minutes this season.”
The Thompson-less Warriors already are much different on paper, and there still is a long way to go until the 2024-25 regular season begins in October.
Outside of what Marks deemed to be its “most impactful transaction,” what else does Golden State have up its sleeves?