Bob Myers is no longer running the Warriors, but he could still end up making life miserable for them.
Golden State has been viewed as one of the favorites to land LeBron James now that the 4x MVP has opted to hit free agency. But Myers, now the President of Sports for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment and part of the ownership group that oversees the Philadelphia 76ers, has a chance to complicate that pursuit in a big way.
Myers isn’t operating as a day-to-day executive the way he did with the Warriors, but he is still involved in the big decisions. He was also reportedly part of the process that helped Philadelphia acquire Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, a move that many around the league viewed as an absolute steal.
That trade changes the conversation around the 76ers fast. With Brown in the fold, Philadelphia suddenly looks like a much more appealing landing spot, and there are reports that the Sixers are now entering the LeBron sweepstakes as well. If Myers and company somehow paired Brown and James, then added Anfernee Simons on a cheap deal on Thursday, that would make for a massive offseason and could turn the Sixers into a real Eastern Conference contender.
For Golden State, it would be a brutal outcome. The Warriors appear content to mostly run it back with the same group from last season, having already brought back Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and De'Anthony Melton.
And despite the talk about getting younger, that goal does not look especially realistic anymore. Head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy may have wanted a younger roster, but the Warriors still look destined to be an older, injury-prone team. The one bit of youth they did add came in the form of 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg in the NBA Draft, but that is only a small boost.
That reality helps explain why Myers walked away when he did. He saw where the franchise was headed and made the move to step aside. Now he is helping shape a potentially dangerous team in Philadelphia while Golden State’s best shot at next season’s contention may depend on landing James in the Bay Area.
If that happens, Myers might still get the final word.
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The problem is that the market around that guard is getting crowded, with Miami also pushing to strengthen its shooting after landing Tim Hardaway Jr. Financial considerations could end up mattering just as much as the basketball fit, and there is even a chance the whole picture shifts depending on how LeBron James free agency plays out. For Golden State, it is another reminder that the players it wants most are often the hardest ones to keep within reach. [Read more 🡒]