The Warriors are not good enough right now

"Knowing what I know now, there's not anything on the table I would have done or gone through with."

Dunleavy on the Warriors' trade deadline approach and if he would have done anything different pic.twitter.com/kzKK5otJGy

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 18, 2024

It was clear at the trade deadline that this Golden State Warriors team was not championship-caliber. Despite this, the team made no moves, and ended up missing the playoffs.

While this development looks bad in hindsight, and was predictable to many in February, it’s something Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy doesn’t regret given what was and wasn’t available at the deadline.

“I think knowing what I know now, there is not anything on the table that I would have done or gone through with,” Dunleavy said. “I think it was good to see this team out. I think one of the best things about this year, frankly, is there were no catastrophic injuries. There’s no, ‘Hey, Steph only played 40 games. What would this team be like without him?’ Things like that.”

What Dunleavy is suggested, is that while this season’s outcome was disappointing, it also provided the Warriors with a lot of clarity.

“We know clearly what this team was,” Dunleavy added. “It wasn’t good enough. And so there’s no doubt about that. There’s no what ifs. If we had made a move at the deadline, ‘Well, maybe that wasn’t the right move. What if we had kept this guy or that guy?’ We answered all those questions, and so now we can move forward with clarity.”

This is a fair point from Dunleavy, but it also indicates the pressure is now on this front office to make the necessary changes this summer to give this Warriors team a real sense of direction.

Insider Floats Idea of Lakers’ $99 Million Star Joining Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are down bad after missing the playoffs despite having a mostly healthy team. It’s clear that the core trio of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson has run its course.

They had a great run that yielded four championships but all good things come to an end. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd believes it’s time for changes.

“It is time for the big pivot,” Cowherd said on the April 17 episode of “The Herd.”

That “big pivot” could involve a Los Angeles Lakers star. Cowherd floated the idea of LeBron James joining the Warriors if the Lakers’ season ends in disappointment.

“Depending on how the Lakers season goes, [and] if Lebron gets frustrated with D-Lo, I’d make a call to LeBron,” Cowherd said. “LeBron, and it’s no secret, is close with Draymond, and the one player he said he would always consider playing with, without a doubt, you could ask people close to LeBron, you may be able to ask LeBron, is Steph Curry.”

James and Curry have flirted with the idea of playing together more in recent years and timing could make sense. The Lakers are still in the playoffs but may be out in the first round. Joining up with Curry could give him a better chance at competing for championships.

LeBron James Can Be Free Agent

LeBron James could have many options this offseason. He can opt out of his contract and hit free agency if he likes. Considering he’s still playing at such a high level, there’s little risk in him opting out of his contract.

James hasn’t given any indication he wants to leave the Lakers. His family is happy in Los Angeles. However, playing for Golden State wouldn’t require him to move far. He could likely continue living in Los Angeles and be up in San Francisco part-time.

The problem is that the Warriors aren’t any closer to competing than the Lakers are. Los Angeles is arguably in a better position to win a championship. Steph Curry is 36 while James is 39. A duo that old would have a hard time winning a title in an 82-game season. Now, they would be electric as a duo and would be must-see TV but it’s difficult to see how they’d be realistic contenders.

What About Steph Curry to Los Angeles Lakers?

One scenario that could make sense is Steph Curry joining the Lakers. Los Angeles is among the favorites to land the guard this offseason if he were to go to a new team. It’s unlikely that Curry actually leaves the Warriors but the Lakers would make sense as a landing spot.

The one thing Los Angeles hasn’t been great at since Anthony Davis and LeBron James were paired together is consistent shooting. Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history and would be a perfect player to add to the Lakers’ superstar duo. That’s a team that could compete for a championship.

The Lakers and Warriors are two of the NBA’s biggest brands but both franchises have struggled this season. There could be big changes and it’ll be interesting to see if there’s some player swapping between the two teams.