Warriors face tough fight in continued commitment to Steph

Warriors face tough fight in continued commitment to Steph originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

When the doors to NBA free agency opened on Sunday, the Warriors had already crossed off the name in bold letters at the top of their shopping list. Paul George, nine-time All-Star, his clear priority, would not be available.

This was a serious wound for Golden State, maximizing the remaining seasons of an effective Stephen Curry. If the front office cannot execute a full recovery, it will be fatal.

The 34-year-old George was the ideal complement to join the 36-year-old Curry and 34-year-old Draymond Green in trying to make another run or two to the NBA Finals. Updated training would bring dramatic improvements. This would have been a win-now nucleus with a chance to produce a fitting epilogue to Curry’s remarkable career.

The Warriors would be contenders again. That has been Curry’s focus since the disastrous 2019-20 season, when a broken hand forced him to spend five months watching the Warriors — his team — finish with the league’s worst record.

Victory in the 2022 NBA Finals was a message to the world that the Warriors, despite being third in the Western Conference, have regained their status as a team to be feared. Curry became the all-time 3-point king. He won the much-desired Finals MVP award. And now the Warriors were, once again, legitimate heavyweights.

Curry, perhaps more than anyone, longed for the Warriors to maintain that level of prestige.

They do not have. They finished sixth in the Western in the 2022-23 season and were eliminated from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals. They finished 10th last season before traveling 75 miles to Sacramento for a Play-In tournament game and being eliminated in the offseason by the Kings.

George would be the centerpiece of Golden State’s reboot. A 6-foot-2, 225-pound wing in a league where two-way wings are taking over. The Warriors valued George over Klay Thompson for several reasons, the most pertinent being that he is now a superior player.

Breaking the backcourt with the best shot the world has ever seen, the legendary “Splash Brothers”, would be worth it if PG13 was coming to the bay.

When George opted out of the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, he became the No. 1 player on the unrestricted free agent market. He was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers, who were so desperate for a two-way wing that they would pay him $212 million over the next four years.

And the Warriors? They have this week, next week and, well, all summer to try to surround Curry with enough talent to carry the season into June.

The inability to lock up George — an acquisition that had multiple hurdles — forced the Warriors to resort to contingencies. They had to lower their eyes to chase an All-Star.

It’s a short list of likely players available with that status. Three come to mind, with varying degrees of attainment. Here’s a look at each, in alphabetical order:

All-Star 2020 is available. He didn’t fit in well with franchise player Zion Williamson and fits worse now that Dejounte Murray joins CJ McCollum in the backcourt. Ingram’s biggest asset is that he is an excellent goalscorer, capable of hitting any action and excelling in midfield. He is also a solid playmaker.

Ingram’s biggest responsibilities are with inconsistency, defense and availability. Like Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins, he’s a rainbow player, beautiful when visible but often invisible. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound winger’s slight frame makes him vulnerable, and physical deficiencies are among the reasons the 26-year-old has missed at least 20 games in each of the past four seasons.

Ingram is a career 36.2 percent shooter from deep. He will make $36 million in the final year of his contract and has been a player who leaves his teams begging for more.

The two-time All-Star (2021, 2022) is on the market under a flashing neon sign. He entered the league as a great athlete looking for a game, and became an excellent offensive player. His streak of seasons averaging at least 23 points per game ended last season when he finished with 19.5. The 10-year vet shoots 38.2 percent from deep and is a standout player.

LaVine’s biggest problem is that he has never played consistent defense. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and with great agility, he has the tools to be a fabulous defender, but he applies them only sporadically.

It’s the onerous contract — three years remaining, averaging $46 million per — that has teams circling LaVine and wondering if he’s worth it. That’s why the Warriors turned down an offer.

Markkanen is a former All-Star (2023) who, at 7-foot-2, 240 pounds, is a top-five prospect in the league. He averaged 23.2 points per game last season, shooting 48 percent from the field, including 39.9 from long range, and 8.2 rebounds. He makes a lot of sense for Golden State.

Naturally, there is a downside. The Warriors would have to negotiate with Danny Ainge, Utah’s CEO of basketball operations. He is not eager to move Markkanen, but his history suggests he has never considered any player untouchable. He has multiple first-round picks in each of the next five drafts.

Markkanen makes a lot of sense for the Warriors, who expressed interest. The question is whether they could come up with a package that convinces Ainge to transfer that asset, which still has one year left on its contract for just $18 million.

George was a Hail Mary and now Curry’s clock is ticking louder every day. Having fallen back into the NBA group, the Warriors face an uphill battle to get anywhere near the top. The front office is facing perhaps its toughest challenge yet.

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