The Golden State Warriors are heading into their first season in 13 years without Klay Thompson on the roster after the all-time shooter left the Warriors to join the Dallas Mavericks this summer. The Warriors have added multiple players to replace Klay and the outgoing Chris Paul, which has led to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green feeling optimistic about the upcoming season, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
“Both stars say they are excited about the moves Golden State has made so far this summer, sources said… Sources added Curry and Green are exhibiting trust that what has happened this offseason can help the team — as long as the team remains competitive.”
Andrews also revealed that Curry and Green aren’t trying to throw their weight around the front office, with Curry in particular not wanting to feel alienated from his teammates by making such decisions.
“Sources told ESPN that neither Curry nor Green wants to be “final decision-makers” regarding roster moves or transactions. But they do want to be consulted. ‘Steph has said, ‘Look, I do not want to be making those decisions. It puts me in a different spot than all of my teammates. I do not want that,” a source told ESPN.”
To replace Klay and CP3, the Warriors went and acquired Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton, and Buddy Hield. Anderson was a solid rotational forward for the Timberwolves last season while Melton is regarded as an efficient guard who can shine on the defensive end.
Hield is one of the best shooters of the modern era in the NBA, converting 1,924 three-pointers since being drafted in 2016, the second-most behind Curry in that span. Hield has led the league in three-point makes since 2019-20, so he might be the closest replacement to what Klay provided to the Warriors lineup.
No Major Additions In Golden State
The Warriors were heavily linked with a trade for Lauri Markkanen, but the Finnish forward will stay on the Jazz after signing a five-year contract worth $238 million. Golden State refused to pay a high price to the Jazz which would’ve led to the loss of sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski along with multiple first-round picks.
Now that the Markkanen saga is over and is the second major target (Paul George) the Warriors couldn’t land, it seems the franchise is content with what they have right now. They have a robust playing rotation with their new additions alongside Curry, Green, Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, and more. The team will be competitive, but are they good enough to improve on their Play-In exit last season?
Curry averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists last season, but he might need to return to 2021-22 levels of production to keep the Warriros competitive. Curry averaged over 30 points that season, but the Warriors did miss the Playoff that year as well, so it’s not an easy solution.
The team is unlikely to pursue stars like Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine, so it seems we know the Warriors roster heading into next season, with potential future trades dependent on how the team performs from October to February.
