The Warriors walked into media day trying to project optimism, but the mood around Golden State still comes with a hard edge. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. did little to quiet the frustration with how he framed the summer, saying, “We run out a lot of ground balls.
We look at a lot of stuff, and we ultimately make what we think is the best decision… We maintain some flexibility. We have all a bunch of assets, so we're in a really good spot," Dunleavy said.
That kind of answer is not likely to land well with fans who want more urgency while Stephen Curry is still in the mix. For a lot of them, “We tried” is not the same thing as taking a real swing.
Still, former Warriors head coach P.J. Carlesimo sees things differently. In an interview with Kyle Odegard for Next Predict, he backed Dunleavy and suggested Golden State could still have a move in it.
“If they are healthy, they’re good right now, and they are always a player away. By the middle of the year Mike will figure something out. I’m not good with money, cap, (stuff) like that, but if they have the wherewithal to do something, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Golden State does something (major) and they’re in the mix.”
Carlesimo’s view is more upbeat than the one many fans are carrying, and it lines up with Dunleavy’s own talk about a possible midseason move. If Golden State does make a real addition during the year, that could be the kind of jolt that pushes the team back into playoff contention.
Dunleavy has done it before. In early 2025, he pulled off the Jimmy Butler trade, and that move gave the Warriors enough to get into the playoffs and make a small run before Curry’s hamstring injury ended the season.
The bigger issue now is whether the roster was built well enough this summer to even leave that door open. Instead of a major overhaul, Dunleavy basically brought back the same injury-prone group that finished 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs.
Maybe hovering around .500 in the first half would be enough to trigger another deal. Even that feels like a lot to ask, especially with the team’s injury problems already showing up again.
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Warriors Already Have A Center Problem Steve Kerr Must Solve
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Now the attention turns to the center spot in the coming games, including the preseason meeting with the L.A. Clippers, where Golden State figures to keep testing different looks. Kristaps Porzingis is also dealing with an early illness concern that could complicate the picture even more, making the next few days a useful preview of how the Warriors plan to handle a position that suddenly feels a little less settled. [Read more 🡒]