Feb 12

TOR106
PHI103
Final
NYK128
IND115
Final
DET132
CHI92
Final
MEM119
PHX112
Final

Feb 13

SAC27-26
NOP12-41
NBCSCA @1:00 AM UTC
GSW27-26
DAL28-26
NBCSBAY @2:30 AM UTC
SAS15
BOS26
In Progress
IND20
WAS21
In Progress
CHA20
ORL22
In Progress
PHI20-33
BKN19-34
NBCSP @12:30 AM UTC
CLE43-10
TOR17-37
FDOH @12:30 AM UTC
ATL26-28
NYK35-18
FDSE @12:30 AM UTC
DET28-26
CHI22-32
FDDT @1:00 AM UTC
MIA25-26
OKC43-9
SUN @1:00 AM UTC
MIL28-24
MIN30-24
FDWI @1:00 AM UTC
PHX26-27
HOU33-20
KTVK @1:30 AM UTC
LAL32-19
UTA12-40
SPEC @2:00 AM UTC
POR23-31
DEN35-19
KUNP @2:00 AM UTC
MEM36-17
LAC29-23
FDSM @3:30 AM UTC

Feb 14

GSW27-26
HOU33-20
NBCSBAY @1:00 AM UTC
SAC27-26
NOP12-41
NBCSCA @1:00 AM UTC
MIA25-26
DAL28-26
KFAA @1:30 AM UTC
OKC43-9
MIN30-24
TNT @1:30 AM UTC
LAC29-23
UTA12-40
FDSC @2:00 AM UTC

Feb 20

CHA13-38
LAL32-19
FDCH @3:00 AM UTC
NBA News

Report: Warriors eyed PG13, Markkanen pairing in offseason blockbuster

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr speaks to the media Sunday with the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season on the horizon.

Programming Note: Watch "Warriors Now" with Bonta Hill and Dalton Johnson at 4 p.m. PT today from Chase Center, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.

It was no secret the Warriors wanted to make a big move -- or two -- this offseason.

Yes, Golden State attempted to acquire Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers before the veteran forward eventually opted out and signed a massive contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. And yes, the Warriors also attempted to acquire sharpshooting 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen before he signed a lucrative contract extension, eliminating any chance of a trade before or during the 2024-25 NBA season.

However, it appears there was more to the Warriors' offseason plan than met the eye.

Golden State not only pursued George and Markkanen, but it wanted to acquire both -- yes, both -- players in what initially was the organization's "Plan A" this offseason, The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported Tuesday in his feature story on Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy.

"When Dunleavy laid out the blueprint to [Steph] Curry and [Draymond] Green, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen wasn’t Plan B. He was a subsection of Plan A," Slater wrote. "The Warriors wanted both wings — believing George’s opt-out threat would allow them to protect the required assets to entice Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, and Markkanen’s reasonable $18 million returning salary could make the financials work.

Bringing in not only George or Markkanen, but both stars would have changed the Warriors' roster and organization drastically.

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“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green told Slater. “You get both of those guys, you make a huge splash. But the Clippers weren’t really willing to play ball. Then Danny Ainge was being Danny Ainge.”

Slater speculates that had the Warriors landed George from the Clippers, perhaps they would have been willing to "unload everything" to meet Ainge's reported steep Markkanen trade demands. However, without George, it appeared Golden State was not comfortable with Utah's asking price.

“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr shared with Slater. “He just said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense to sell your entire future for a team that you think can be pretty good, but isn’t awesome, right?’ Especially at this stage with the ages of our stars.”

While neither move ultimately worked out, a starting five featuring some combination of at least Curry, George, Markkanen and Green certainly would have made for a lethal lineup and likely would have propelled Golden State back into championship contention.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, their Plan A -- or Plan B -- never came to fruition.

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