The Golden State Warriors spent an offseason that never quite turned into the splash they were chasing. Anthony Davis and LeBron James were both names floating around the conversation, but nothing materialized, and the roster additions that did arrive hardly changed the ceiling for a team still trying to look like a real title threat.
That quiet summer has naturally fueled bigger-picture speculation. It also led to questions about whether Steph Curry could eventually ask out, but that possibility has been pushed aside.
“Steph Curry is not going to be requesting a trade,” ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel said on the Clutch Scoops podcast. “We have that on extremely good authority from the Warriors that Steph Curry is staying there.
He wants to remain there his entire career.”
Golden State did keep one major piece in place by bringing back Draymond Green. “Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. The contract is the same Green opted out of to give the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James, but the sides land his return Tuesday,” ESPN Shams Charania wrote.
And it was Green who added the most intriguing wrinkle to the Warriors’ long-term chatter. On his podcast, while talking about the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day, Green seemed to nod toward the kind of star pursuit that could loom next summer.
“Got the Joker coming into Dub Nation, San Francisco," Green said."There's been a lot of talk about Joker in San Francisco as of late, I've been reading. I'm sure they'll be a ton of talk by then, by Christmas Day, depending on how the teams are doing."
Green did not explicitly say the Warriors are going after Nikola Jokic, but the message was hard to miss. The context around his comment suggested he knows that kind of conversation could build as the season goes on.
Jokic has earned $304 million in his career, and any team that lands him would be making a huge financial commitment. If Golden State ever found a way to pair him with Curry, it would instantly become one of the most dangerous and star-powered duos the league has ever seen.
In Other News...
Warriors Suddenly Have A Jordan Poole Question Fans Cant Ignore
Jordan Pooles name briefly sent a familiar ripple through Warriors circles after a false report claimed the Pelicans had waived him and Golden State was keeping tabs on a possible reunion. It was the kind of rumor that gets instantly latched onto in the Bay Area, where Pooles time with the Warriors still carries plenty of weight and any hint of a return naturally invites speculation about how the roster might look if the opportunity ever surfaced.
For now, though, the path back appears distant. New Orleans is not operating as if a split is imminent, and the expectation is that the team will see whether a new voice under Jahmahl Mosley can coax more from Poole before entertaining anything more dramatic. His recent performance and contract situation remain part of the conversation, but the real question for Warriors fans is less about whether the door is open today than whether it could become relevant later. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Is At The Center Of A New Cavaliers Debate
Jonathan Kumingas name keeps surfacing in trade chatter, and now the Cavaliers are the latest team weighing whether his upside is worth the cost. A rival scout poured some cold water on the idea, framing Clevelands interest around the kind of deal that would require real rotation pieces going out in return. For a team that has spent time looking at ways to sharpen its wing athleticism and add more juice on the perimeter, Kuminga remains the kind of swing-for-the-fences target that can also create a lot of internal debate.
Clevelands search is not limited to Kuminga, either. The Cavaliers are also pursuing Peyton Watson, and even with Watsons recent performance, there is still uncertainty about how his game would translate in Clevelands structure. With sign-and-trade possibilities in the mix, the front office is trying to balance talent, fit and the cost of making a move, which is exactly why this is becoming such a tricky conversation rather than a straightforward upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg Is Bringing Real Edge To This Battle
Yaxel Lendeborg has already shown he is not coming into the Warriors with a shy approach. The rookie forward has backed up his reputation with strong college and Summer League production, and he has brought that same confidence into a matchup that naturally gets attention around the league. For Golden State, that kind of edge matters as much as any box-score number, especially for a player trying to carve out a role early.
Stephen Curry has already acknowledged what Lendeborg can bring, which only adds to the intrigue around his place on this roster. The next question is how that confidence translates when the games start counting for real, particularly in a physical matchup against Phoenix and Dillon Brooks. For the Warriors, that is the kind of test that can quickly show whether a rookie is just talking like a pro or ready to play like one. [Read more 🡒]