It hasn’t been a great summer for the Golden State Warriors. With one aging superstar and another still in ongoing injury recovery, they desperately needed a big signing to put them back in the title picture. Losing out on LeBron James was obviously a tough blow for them, but he wasn’t actually their first choice as a win-now addition to the roster.
According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors were initially involved in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes, albeit for a brief time. They were even willing to offer Jimmy Butler in the deal (including future draft picks), but the Celtics never gave them the time of day. It was a similar story with the Wizards, who were uninterested in anything the Warriors had to offer for Anthony Davis.
“Jaylen Brown was another star the Warriors did have a conversation with the Celtics about,” wrote Siegel. “But to the Dubs’ dismay, Boston wasn’t even willing to hear any offers Golden State could make since the Celtics held no interest in any of their assets. The Warriors would’ve traded Jimmy Butler, who they have not wanted to move, along with draft assets in either scenario for Davis or Brown.”
With Stephen Curry active and healthy, the Warriors have an obligation to build him a roster that can compete for the title. That’s why their name has been involved in several pursuits, and Jaylen Brown makes a lot of sense. The former Finals MVP averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game last season, and he would have been a viable replacement for Butler, whose future is uncertain after tearing his ACL.
Even after being denied Brown and losing the James sweepstakes, they did not give up on trying to get better. Throughout the summer, they’ve also had their sights on Trey Murphy III, a young sharpshooter who can stretch the floor and provide instant offense to the team. Sadly, Golden State does not have the assets to make such a deal.
“Despite not being a star-level player, the Warriors have also contacted the Pelicans multiple times regarding Trey Murphy III, offering a deal centered around two first-round picks for the 26-year-old,” reported Siegel. “New Orleans has not changed their asking price of three first-round picks for Murphy and a young player they can add to their core, something the Dubs do not have to offer.”
When you count the players that Golden State has missed out on recently, it’s starting to stack up. Over the last three to four seasons alone, the Dubs have reportedly failed to acquire Pascal Siakam, Lauri Markkanen, Paul George, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James, among others. Of course, with so few assets to offer, they are also struggling to acquire win-now role players like Trey Murphy.
It’s getting to a point where the Warriors are starting to shift their focus entirely, moving on from Steph and looking toward the future. Where that leaves iconic veterans like Green and Curry remains to be seen, but there are only so many times one team can be denied before they collapse entirely.
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