Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors

Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors

The injuries that cost the Warriors the 2019 NBA Finals — Kevin Durant (which was traded to Brooklyn the next off-season at his request) and Klay Thompsonespecially — combined with a Stephen Curry A hand injury crashed the Warriors into a 15-win 2019-20 COVID/bubble season.

The following season, the Warriors wanted to get back on top, despite Thompson’s ruptured Achilles tendon and missing another season, and pushed for a trade to fill his role for Kelly Oubre Jr. At the request of Warriors owner Joe Lacob, the Warriors gave up a few draft picks and took a hefty tax hit to get Oubre. It didn’t work out at all, Oubre was inconsistent (he scored 15.4 points per game but shot 31 percent from three-point range), as was Andrew Wigginsmore recruit James Wiseman wasn’t ready for the spotlight and the Warriors missed the playoffs again.

The way it happened is why the Warriors didn’t take a big risk on someone like Brandon Ingram this offseason despite the need for a secondary playmaker, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole reports Let’s talk about the Warriors’ offseason.

According to league sources, Lacob was a strong voice — the “driving force,” according to one — in favor of a trade for Oubre. So much so that it didn’t matter that it doubled Golden State’s luxury tax bill. Oubre’s season alone cost the Warriors more than $80 million in salary and luxury taxes.

While the Warriors typically like to make decisions as a team, that wasn’t the case with Oubre, sources said. From Lacob all the way up to the various levels of power, including then-general manager Bob Myers and the coaching staff, there were pockets of dissension. The biggest question seemed to be whether Oubre’s skills and temperament would complement the rest of the roster…

Every move since, including the addition of Chris Paul last summer, has been about adding to the roster rather than expanding the core. Much of that approach has to do with Oubre’s experience. The Warriors are no longer willing to compromise their backline, sacrifice a bunch of draft picks or disrupt their roster for someone who isn’t a consensus favorite.

Brandon Ingram, for example, is one of those who some sources say doesn’t meet that standard. There are enough arguments for/against that any chance of him coming to Golden State is minimal.

This story reminds us of one of the great truisms of professional sports: When an owner pushes for a trade/signing against the advice of his GM/CEO, it goes wrong 99 times out of 100. Stay in your lane.

The Warriors have remained patient this offseason, making some nice depth moves – adding Buddy HieldDe’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson —and probably getting better (even without Klay Thompson), but didn’t do anything reckless in looking for that second star next to Curry (and no, it won’t be LeBron James).

A big part of what’s keeping teams around the league hesitant to trade for Ingram is his contract situation. It’s not the $36 million he’ll make this season, it’s the max deal the 27-year-old is looking for starting next year — teams look at his play and don’t want to pay him that much, and they don’t want to give up what the Pelicans are asking for a one-year rental. While Ingram is an All-Star who averaged 20.8 points per game last season, teams aren’t sure he’s enough of a winning player to pay him the max money in the new CBA/tax apron environment (same problem as last season). Bulls find themselves trying to trade Zach LaVine).

After Golden State, Oubre signed with Charlotte, he played his role well there, which earned him a spot in Philadelphia where he thrived as a secondary scorer last season. Oubre has value, he just didn’t fit with the Warriors. He fits the 76ers.

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