For the third time in the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors will not be participating in the playoffs. Their campaign came to an end on Tuesday night with an embarrassing 24-point loss to the Sacramento Kings in the 9 vs. 10 game in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
The defeat raises significant questions about the team's future with an aging, extremely expensive core that no longer seems capable of competing at the top of the West. It appears, though, that they are going to forge ahead with Steph Curry leading the way.
They have "no interest" in tanking, according to Zach Lowe, and plan to "make the most of Curry's remaining seasons."
Curry, now 35 years old, showed some signs of slowing down this season. While he still had plenty of big nights and magical moments, he was more inconsistent than ever. He shot under 40% from the field in 28 of his 74 appearances, the most such games in any season of his career. He is signed through 2026, however, and is still too good to allow them to tank. They would have to trade him to truly sink to the bottom, and that is simply not going to happen.
The question, then, becomes how to build the best supporting cast to maximize Curry's last few All-Star level seasons.
On that note, here's what Lowe had to say about some of the key figures on the Warriors:
The former Defensive Player of the Year missed 21 games through suspension this season for multiple on-court incidents, including choking Rudy Gobert and hitting Jusuf Nurkis in the face. It's no surprise, then, that Lowe notes Green's "volatility has worn on several within the organization."
At the same time, Green is still a terrific defender and smart playmaker who understands, perhaps better than anyone, how to play with Curry. Even with all the antics, Green remains more valuable to the Warriors than any other team and is owed $77 million over the next three seasons. He does not appear to have much trade value and, thus, is likely to stick around.
If the Warriors' big three splits up this summer, it will be because Thompson signs elsewhere. He is expected to draw interest from other teams when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. Per Lowe, there have been "no substantive talks between the team and Thompson's representatives about a new deal for months."
Thompson's age and injuries appeared to catch up to him in a major way this season. He averaged fewer than 20 points per game for the first time since 2014, and there were far too many nights where he simply didn't have it. The Play-In loss to the Kings was a perfect example, as he scored zero points on 0-of-10 from the field, including 0-6 from behind the arc.
It's one thing to keep franchise heroes who are already under contract. But will the Warriors be willing to give Thompson another big contract just for nostalgia's sake? And will Thompson even want to return to the Bay Area? It would be strange to see Thompson in a new jersey, but a fresh start could be best for both parties.
This was a strange season for Kuminga, who was so frustrated by his lack of playing time early on that he or his camp leaked to the media that he was "losing faith" in Warriors coach Steve Kerr. In the end, he won that battle, as Kerr gave him a chance, and he averaged 18.7 points and 5.4 rebounds on 54.2% shooting after that report.
Of all the Warriors' young talent, Kuminga has the most potential. While that gives the Warriors an incentive to keep him around, it also makes him the player other teams would be most interested in should the Warriors investigate the trade market. Furthermore, the Warriors do have depth at Kuminga's position, which could make him expendable.
He is eligible for an extension this summer and the Warriors "brain trust remains very high on his potential." This is probably the most fluid situation. The Warriors might like to keep him, but you never know what could emerge on the trade front.
Thompson wasn't the only veteran who struggled in the Warriors' Play-In loss. Paul finished with three points and two assists on 1-of-3 shooting in 18 minutes on Tuesday night. That brought a frustrating season to a close for the veteran, who remains without a ring. A broken hand cost him nearly two months, and he had to adjust to a bench role for the first time in his career.
Paul's $30 million contract for next season is non-guaranteed, and the Warriors have plenty of options. They could guarantee that deal and bring him back, use the big cap number to trade him, or release him before the guaranteed date of June 28. At this point, it's unclear what the Warriors will do with Paul.
Where he suits up next season remains to be seen, but he will be playing somewhere. Paul said following the loss tot he Kings that he has no plans to retire.
