Advertisement

Report: Warriors could lose multiple key members of dynasty this offseason

The futures of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, president Bob Myers and even head coach Steve Kerr are all in question

Serious questions surround the fate of several of the Golden State Warriors' key members as the franchise heads into an uncertain 2023 offseason after the team's second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. The futures of as many as four players, one coach and one executive are uncertain. Some of these were already known, while others are new.

Some combination of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole could be on their way out next season, depending on what the Warriors want to do.

Green has a player option for the fourth year of his contract and already reportedly requested a max extension. The Warriors reportedly plan to discuss a multi-year contract with Green but he has suitors from "multiple playoff-contending teams," according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Sham Charania.

“I want to be a Warrior for the rest of my life,” Green said after Game 6. “I want to ride out with the same dudes I rode in with.”

Thompson is eligible for an extension as well but is reportedly expected to be asked to take a pay cut with any new deal. Kuminga could reportedly be moved if the Warriors can't find a place for him in their rotation. And Poole is also reportedly a cost-cutting candidate because his four-year, $140 million extension doesn't kick in until next season.

Head coach Steve Kerr is in the final year of his contract, too, but he's likely to be retained once a new deal is finalized.

The future of the Warriors is in serious doubt after their playoff exit to the Lakers. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
The future of the Warriors is in serious doubt after their playoff exit to the Lakers. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports) (USA Today Sports / reuters)

None of these issues can be resolved, though, until the Warriors figure out who will run the team. The contract of Bob Myers, the team's president of basketball operations, expires on June 30 and another report from The Athletic in January speculated Golden State could move on from Myers as the team transitions into a post-Green/Thompson/Stephen Curry phase of the franchise.

While Warriors team owner Joe Lacob has publicly said he wants to keep Myers, the price for one of the top executives in the NBA might be too steep for Lacob. There's speculation Myers could also leave the league entirely and focus on other ventures.

The Warriors are expected to promote from within if Myers leaves, according to The Athletic. Vice president of basketball operations and former Warriors player Mike Dunleavy Jr. is Myers' likely replacement. Shaun Livingston, another ex-Warriors player who won three titles with the trio of Curry, Green and Thompson, is another possible candidate, per The Athletic.

Green's future might be tied most directly to Myers' status with the team. He told Sportsnaut's Mark Medina that Myers "means the world" to him.

“Working with him has been a complete honor. He’s great," Green said. "He knows the business and I learn from him. To say that doesn’t matter, it’s a lie. Of course, it matters. But there’s a bunch of things to take into account. Yes, that is one of the things that matters. All right? But ultimately, I can’t hinge my whole decision on that. But [expletive] right it matters.”

The Warriors have some time to make these important decisions, though. The 2023 NBA Draft is a little more than a month away and Green can pick up or decline his player option by June 29 — a day before Myers' contract officially ends. Whatever the Warriors do could alter the trajectory of their franchise, perhaps signaling the end of a dynasty that included four NBA championships in nine seasons.