Why Shelburne thinks the Warriors will go ‘big game’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After a couple of disappointing seasons immediately following the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship run, could Golden State and general manager Mike Dunleavy turn things around this summer? ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne thinks it will.
during an interview With 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs,” Shelburne detailed why he is confident in his belief that the Warriors will make a big move during the NBA offseason.
“Last time I was on the show with you guys I mentioned that I thought you were going big game hunting, I still think that’s how (the Warriors) behave,” Shelburne told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “Let’s see what they can achieve. They’re going to have to be creative, they’re going to have to work hard to achieve it. I don’t see any world where they put out the same team again.” and I hope it goes better.
“I think they make some changes and try to improve this team. You just don’t have a guy like Steph Curry on your team and a mediocre cast around him. You just don’t do that.”
Golden State will have razor-thin margins to work with, entering the offseason with $249,265,900 on the books in 2024-25 salary cap obligations, with a sizable chunk potentially freed up if the Warriors decide to move on from Chris Paul.
The Warriors have until June 28 to make a decision on the 39-year-old point guard, at which point the $30 million he has under contract for next season becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on Golden State’s roster. Finding a way to move on from Paul would be the quickest path for the Warriors to free up substantial money, although it could be a difficult decision after the positive impact the future Hall of Fame guard had during his only season in the Bay Area.
Veteran Kevon Looney has an $8 million contract next season, with only $3 million fully guaranteed. If Looney remains on the roster seven days before the 2024 NBA default period that begins July 1, the entire $8 million will be guaranteed. While Looney has been a fixture in multiple Golden State title runs, the Trayce Jackson-Davis appearance It creates an interesting discussion about the future of the three-time NBA champion.
The biggest elephant in the room remains Klay Thompson’s impending unrestricted free agency. The four-time NBA champion has spent his entire 13-year career with the Warriors, making it difficult to imagine a scenario in which he doesn’t remain with Golden State and maintain his place in Curry and Draymond Green’s historic core.
How much Thompson will ultimately control on the open market remains a mystery, and could leave the Warriors with an extremely difficult decision given the limited resources at their disposal due to contractual obligations on the books for next season and beyond. Dunleavy preserve the icon of the aging franchise Or try to bring in a different star player alongside Curry and Green?
The answer will be one of the biggest stories to follow as the NBA offseason approaches.