General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State Warriors were the subject of several rumors leading up to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
The Warriors are a mediocre 23-25 on the season and are seemingly going nowhere fast. It led to speculation about the team either buying or selling ahead of the deadline.
As the clock hit 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, no moves were reported out of Northern California outside of the Warriors dealing away point guard Cory Joseph.
Injured veteran Chris Paul and his expiring contract was not traded. Andrew Wiggins was not moved. The Warriors didn’t pull off a blockbuster to help Stephen Curry, including the inability to add All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.
Golden State is attempting to run two different timelines. That includes seeing youngsters such as Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Brandin Podziemski playing extended minutes with the core three of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. It did not work last season. It has not worked thus far during the 2023-24 campaign.
For many, Mike Dunleavy and Co. have to make a decision. Is the team all in to help Curry contend for a title as he enters the twilight of his career? If not, starting anew with a rebuild would make the most sense.
That’s obviously not the thought process of Golden State’s power elite.
“The guys who are here, they are an incredibly accomplished group,” Kerr said after Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, via ESPN. “We’ve got some exciting young players and we’ve got a good group. Every guy on our team has really overcome a lot, individually, this year. Taken out of the starting lineup, to injuries, young players have emerged through hard work and patience, and I enjoy coaching this team. It is a long haul, but I feel like this team could be something special.”
Those around the NBA world are not buying it. Fans are not happy. The social media world is not happy about the Warriors’ lack of activity.
Related: Golden State Warriors standing in Sportsnaut’s NBA power rankings
Social media blasts Golden State Warriors for inactive NBA trade deadline
In today’s react first world, it’s not surprising that the Warriors were on the receiving end of a ton of criticism on social media. Some of the responses bordered on the hilarious.
Others were downright said given that this team is less than two years removed from winning the NBA championship. It is now apparently in purgatory with no real plan moving forward.