Golden State’s offseason didn’t give fans the splash they wanted, and Joe Lacob isn’t pretending otherwise. The Warriors owner stood by a quieter approach this summer, arguing that keeping the group intact can matter more than chasing a headline move.
In a recent interview with Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle, Lacob pushed back on the frustration that followed the team’s inability to land another star.
“Sometimes, people undervalue continuity. That’s important.
We have some good young players here. Whether people want to admit it or understand it or not, we have some really good older players, too,” Lacob said.
That stance came after a rough 2025-26 season in which Golden State went 37-45 and never got past the Play-In Tournament. With Stephen Curry still the centerpiece, the Warriors entered the offseason under pressure to build a stronger contender around him. Instead of swinging big, they largely kept the roster together.
Lacob made it clear he sees restraint as a real strategy, not a failure to act.
“There are times to make moves and times maybe not to make moves. Sometimes, the best deals you ever do are the ones you don’t do,” Lacob said.
“We could make a really bad deal and then everyone would be happy because we did something, quote unquote. But that’s not necessarily the right thing to do.”
Golden State had been connected to possible trade talks involving Washington Wizards star forward Anthony Davis as part of a wider idea that could have brought LeBron James to the franchise. The concept would have paired Davis and James again while giving Curry more proven help.
That route never materialized. Washington kept Davis, and James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, shutting down the scenario before the Warriors could land either star.
So instead of a major shakeup, Golden State moved ahead with Curry, Draymond Green and the rest of its veteran core while also keeping an eye on younger players who might help this season. The team also locked in Curry with a two-year, $116 million contract extension in September, a clear sign that the franchise still plans to build around him.
Now the burden shifts to the court. With preseason work underway for the 2026-27 NBA campaign, the Warriors will try to prove that staying steady can still move them forward. For Lacob, the bet is simple: a bad trade can do more damage than another year with a familiar roster.
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