The top Western Conference teams were busy this offseason. The Thunder, Mavericks, Kings, Pelicans, and Suns made moves to improve their roster. However, the Warriors lost Klay Thompson to Dallas and struck out on acquiring Paul George. Regardless, Draymond Green is content with the team’s summer business and is glad the team didn’t make any ill-advised moves.
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During the Warriors’ Media Day, Green was asked about the team missing out on George, who signed with the 76ers. The star forward defended the much-maligned front office and claimed they did a terrific job by being patient. He said,
“I think the organization did an incredible job at not panicking. In the moment where you miss out on a guy or two, most people then go make a bad deal.”
Draymond Green (who was in on the Paul George recruitment) said he felt the Warriors front office did well not making a panic move this summer.
“One move in this league can set you back five years.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/5K2l1TS7bp
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 30, 2024
Green played a pivotal role in the Warriors bid to acquire George from the Clippers. However, once the franchise realized the deal wasn’t feasible, they walked away from it instead of overpaying, which the veteran forward believes was the right call.
Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne, the Warriors made a strong offer to acquire George. However, their package of a bunch of expiring contracts, some young players, and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick was enough for the Clippers. The team’s hesitancy to include Jonathan Kuminga was the main sticking point.
George decided to turn down the opportunity to sign with the Warriors and instead signed with the 76ers. The Warriors quickly diverted their attention to signing role players and added Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson to the roster, which Green believes was the right move. He said,
“To see them stand pat and say no, we’re going to pluck away. We’re going to sign a Buddy Hield, we’re going to sign a De’Anthony Melton, we’re going to sign a Kyle Anderson. I thought that was incredible.”
The four-time NBA champion believes that the franchise trusting the young players on the roster rather than overpaying for a superstar will pay dividends in the future.
Warriors’ young core has a big season ahead
The Warriors finished the 2023-24 season in 10th place after losing in the play-in tournament. However, rookie Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis were the silver linings in an underwhelming season for the franchise
Podziemski shocked the basketball world with his ability to seamlessly fit within the Warriors system. He recorded a plus/minus of +6.2 while averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He’ll likely take Thompson’s place in the team’s starting lineup.
Although the Warriors have historically preferred small-ball lineups, Jackson-Davis provides Golden State with new variations. The 6-foot-9 big man averaged a solid 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on 70.2 percent shooting.
However, Kuminga was arguably the story of the season for the Warriors. He averaged 16.1 points in only 26.3 minutes of action and is expected to be the Warriors’ next breakout star. The front office refused to trade the forward despite him entering the final year of his rookie deal with the franchise, suggesting how highly he’s valued within the team.
The Warriors are building towards the future and aren’t willing to part ways with any of their young stars if the price isn’t right.
