The Warriors are asking themselves the same question after missing out on a star once again this NBA offseason: Now what? And the answer might be, not much.
Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen will not be wearing a Warriors jersey next season, instead staying in Salt Lake City.
Markkanen and the Jazz will reach a colossal contract extension Wednesday or later, making him ineligible to be traded this offseason or during the 2024-25 NBA season, and keeping him off the 2025 free agency market, The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Anthony Slater and Tony Jones reported Tuesday morning, citing sources.
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Tuesday marked the first day Markkanen was eligible to renegotiate and extend his current contract. Any player who signs a contract extension cannot be traded for six months. Signing Tuesday would have made Markkanen, who also was on pace to be next summer’s top free agent, available on the final day of next season’s trade deadline.
For the Warriors, they now know Markkanen isn’t even an option until next offseason when he’ll reportedly be under a massive contract through 2029. This comes after failing in their Paul George pursuit in late June before the former Los Angeles Clippers star signed with Philadelphia 76ers. The draft is well in the past, so is free agency and the Warriors’ two biggest targets are no longer options.
That leaves them with little room to swing a team-altering deal before the start of the upcoming season.
The Warriors are huge Brandin Podziemski fans, both for his production and incredibly team-friendly rookie contract. Jonathan Kuminga in most regards made the Year 3 leap they were looking for last season, averaging a 16.1 point per game, and being a consistent 20-point scorer when given bigger opportunities.
Golden State Warriors
Kuminga, 21, currently is rookie contract extension eligible. Franz Wagner, taken by the Orlando Magic one pick after Kuminga in the 2021 draft, signed a five-year, $224 million rookie contract extension in July that could be worth up to $269 million.
Two big names remain on the trade market, and neither are of interest to the Warriors.
Injuries limited Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine to 25 games last season and the Bulls have been practically begging teams to take on his contract that will pay him $43 million, $46 million and $49 million the next three seasons, respectively.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is set to be a free agent next offseason seeking more than $200 million.
Remember how Ingram fared playing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup for Steve Kerr? Disaster.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy has maneuvered several complementary moves during the offseason to improve the roster. He also made headlines two days before the draft by saying making trades in the NBA is “really hard.”
“It's having a willing partner,” Dunleavy explained. “I think to do that, you've got to find the right time. You've got to find the right player that works for you and just having players that are available, right.
“I'm calling everybody, but if the player is not available and there's not a price, then there's no trade that can be made.”
Golden State has seen Klay Thompson and Chris Paul go their separate ways. In return, Dunleavy has brought in De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. If the Warriors are to make another deal, expect it to be more in that ballpark compared to a blockbuster, possibly using the contracts of Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II, as well as Moses Moody being a young asset who remains a bit blocked on the roster going into his fourth season. Their most likely path is that of the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavs were the No. 8 seed, making them a play-in team at the time, when they acquired Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington before the trade deadline on Feb. 8. There’s always a disgruntled star or a disappointing team that can make things interesting. Throwing teams and names out in August are wasted words, but patience might be the most realistic, yet frustrating, avenue for the Warriors.
Since winning the 2022 championship, the Warriors have been a No. 6 seed that fell in the second round of the playoffs and then dropped all the way to the No. 10 seed, leaving them out of the playoffs after a blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament. They like the additions they have made over the last month-plus and remain high on their young players.
But the Warriors, as constructed at this time, also appear far from a championship contender.
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