Well, now what? That’s what the Golden State Warriors must ask themselves after officially going 0-for-2 in their pursuit of pairing Stephen Curry with a co-star this offseason.
First, the Warriors were painfully close to landing standout two-way wing Paul George before he ultimately landed with the Philadelphia 76ers. More recently, they whiffed on Lauri Markkanen, who agreed on a massive five-year, $238 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz.
Golden State appeared to put all their eggs in the Markkanen basket. Nonetheless, their well-documented reluctance to include talented young guard Brandin Podziemski in negotiations complicated matters. Alas, it’s all for naught with the sharpshooting seven-footer off the market.
Everyone’s wondering what the Warriors’ next move(s) will be. They’re now in a position where they have more questions than answers. But based on recent reporting, Golden State is seemingly working backward to figure out how to proceed, starting with crossing off players they don’t want.
Warriors reportedly unmoved by Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram
Per Shams Charania, Tony Jones and Anthony Slater of The Athletic ($), the Dubs have “shown no appetite” for former All-Stars Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram ($). Both are currently in limbo with their respective teams and have been available for some time, though Golden State is ostensibly disinterested.
Seeing the Warriors take a process-of-elimination approach to building their franchise is admirable — it’s nice that the Warriors are operating methodically. However, as an organization looking to maximize Curry’s remaining prime years, beggars can’t be choosers.
How can Golden State thread the needle of surrounding Curry with a title-contending roster while not jeopardizing their future? Markkanen felt like the best chance at doing that, so who can they pivot to not named LaVine or Ingram?
Warriors appear out of options after missing on Paul George, Lauri Markkanen
No candidate matches the criteria to be a viable target for the Warriors (for now). Despite that, things can change quickly in the NBA.
Situations across the league are always fluid and subject to change. With that in mind, we can’t rule out a high-profile option emerging for the Warriors down the line.
The Warriors don’t necessarily have time to wait, making this a fascinating position to be in. Will they push the envelope? Do they feel remorseful after their alleged commitment to Podziemski contributed to them not getting Markkanen?
Whether or not Golden State ramps up its sense of urgency is worth monitoring.
