The Golden State Warriors just lost to the Grizzlies on Friday, putting an end to their 2020-21 campaign, and demonstrative forward Draymond Green is already set to have a team discussion about what the Warriors’ roster will look like next season.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
The Warriors finished the regular season strong, posting a 15-5 record down the stretch, but coach Steve Kerr had to shorten his rotation to make it happen. Next season — slated to be bolstered by the return of All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson — will demand a better equipped back-end of the roster, at minimum.
As for Green, he said he wants to be in the middle of the roster reloading process. He also said Curry and Thompson would be right there with him.
“I expect to be extremely involved,” Green said. “It’s just the way it’s gotta be. We have to dive in. Looking back on this year, I think there were a lot of successes that came out of this year, but we did not win a championship. … There are some things that need to be discussed between myself, Steph, Klay, coaching staff, front office. This has always been a group thing.”
The Athletic
In spite of how the campaign ended, there were indeed some bright spots. Guard Jordan Poole established himself as a primer bench-scoring option. Forward Juan Toscano-Anderson emerged. Curry proved his prime is far from finished.
But to load the roster around Curry won’t be easy. Golden State’s ledger is packed with high salaries, with Curry, Thompson, Green and F Andrew Wiggins. The club has two first-round draft picks to float in trade offers, however, and trading first-year center James Wiseman is an option, though reportedly not a favored one early on.
It definitely demands a conversation, and Green says it’s always been that way with the club. With the team’s championship window shrinking by the season, this offseason has the opportunity to make or break Golden State’s chances with it’s remaining cast of championship characters, Curry, Thompson and Green. No wonder they all want to talk about it.
(Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)
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