The Warriors need to make changes to their roster this offseason, and Golden State's longest-tenured players are the first to admit that nobody is safe.
After the Warriors' 2023-24 NBA season came to an end with a crushing loss to the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, veteran forward Draymond Green explained on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," why moves are necessary this summer.
"That's now back-to-back seasons getting eliminated in tough, tough close-out games, but far earlier than we expect," Green said. "Especially this one, not being in the playoffs. This sucks. But got to go back to the drawing board, re-tool.
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"Had great exit interviews yesterday [with] Steve [Kerr], Mike [Dunleavy]. Looking forward to talking about what the future of this team looks like. You're not allowed to not make the playoffs and then think 'Oh, everything's just going to stay the same.' That's not a realistic thing, especially for an organization that has experienced the success that we've now brought to this organization. You can't just think 'Oh it's going to stay the same ...' I don't expect that."
The Warriors, due to financial constraints, have not made many significant roster moves in recent years outside of last summer's Jordan Poole-for-Chris Paul trade with the Washington Wizards. However, this offseason might need to be different if Golden State hopes to return to championship contention.
"When you're in a situation like this, all things are on the table," Green added. "You'd be crazy to go into it thinking 'Oh it's not' or 'I'm good.' Like ... nah, you're not until you are. I'm looking forward to having these conversations, seeing what's next, what the thoughts are. Kind of had a few thoughts [Wednesday] but kind of on this tight 20-minute schedule where everybody's kind of getting through their exit interviews. So looking forward to having those conversations."
Superstar point guard Steph Curry is a lock for the 2024-25 roster, and the Warriors' brass has made it clear they can't envision a scenario where Green doesn't return. Veteran guard Klay Thompson is an unrestricted free agent and while his return is far from guaranteed, it's more likely than not he will return next season.
Golden State Warriors
That means, if the very top of the roster remains the same, the Warriors won't have many obvious ways to significantly improve the team with what will be another sky-high payroll. It looks like second-year general manager Mike Dunleavy will have to get creative.
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