The Golden State Warriors expect next season to be their return to the top of the Western Conference hierarchy — a belief seemingly shared by oddsmakers as well.
With Klay Thompson returning from injury alongside Stephen Curry coming off a scoring title and Draymond Green showing he’s still a dominant defensive force, the Warriors have the foundation still in place to contend, but certainly need more. They’ve been caught in the middle of two worlds the last two years, best evidenced by the presence of last year’s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who had the expected struggles of a young player finding his way on an established team before an injury ended his season.
The Warriors have a pair of lottery picks once again this year at No. 7 and No. 14, but adding two more rookies isn’t exactly what Curry, Thompson, and Green need. As was the case last year, trade rumors are swirling around the Warriors’ picks as the Draft approaches, but this year there seems to be a mandate from their best players to make a move.
According to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, the Warriors star trio has made it clear to management that they want them to go get immediate help for a championship push this offseason, which means to trade those lottery picks for an impact veteran.
The Warriors’ trio of stars — Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson — have made it clear to management they want the franchise to focus on the pursuit of a championship, even to consider using their two lottery picks to get someone who can help immediately, sources confirmed. Warriors general manager Bob Myers said their goal this offseason is to add more of a veteran presence.
Should the Warriors go that route, Beal, the Washington Wizards’ guard who made third-team All-NBA, is deemed to be the best player and best fit for the Warriors among the players who could potentially be available this offseason.
The probable package the Warriors could offer the Wizards for Beal would be Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and their two lottery picks this year. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, but if Washington were to open themselves up to moving Beal — who, it should be noted, has continually said he wants to be in the nation’s capital — they would be fielding offers from all over the league that could very well top what the Warriors have to offer.
Maybe the most interesting nugget from the piece is where it notes that while Damian Lillard is being pursued hotly around the league, a return home to the Bay area is not something he wants, per Thompson. Should Beal not be available in discussions, the Warriors will have to turn their attention elsewhere, with Pacers big man Myles Turner being a possible target for the Warriors who wouldn’t necessarily require them to move Wiseman.
In any case, it is clear that while last year the Warriors’ stars were content to let the chips fall as they may, this year they want to leave no doubt in the minds of management that they expect them to build a title contender in the immediate term, future assets be damned.