Golden State’s front office returned to a caution-first posture as Steve Kerr agreed to resume coaching, according to ESPN. Team executives were mildly surprised by Kerr’s insistence that the franchise avoid mortgaging the future despite an urgent window to compete, sources said — a stance that has tempered previous appetite for trading away long-term assets.
The club’s earlier willingness to push hard toward acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo at the February trade deadline is now serving as a barometer of that shift. Warriors officials engaged aggressively with the Milwaukee Bucks in February, including talks about using multiple draft picks, but offseason discussions with Milwaukee have seen Golden State largely on the sidelines, league sources said.
Kerr told reporters at his return news conference that the front office reached a “reality-based shared vision” for what success looks like, noting this is the first time since the injury-plagued 2019-20 season that the team is not approaching the year expecting to win a championship, according to ESPN.
The Warriors remain open to marquee opportunities if they materialize. Team sources said Golden State would be a willing suitor if LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers part ways, though the prevailing intelligence points toward James returning to Los Angeles. The club could clear space for the full $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and would consider contract features such as a second-season player option and involving Stephen Curry in recruitment, sources said.
Warriors executives also checked on Kawhi Leonard before the February deadline, ESPN reported, but the Los Angeles Clippers have resisted trade inquiries, with owner Steve Ballmer preferring to keep Leonard. Smaller targets, such as New Orleans wing Trey Murphy III — long on Golden State’s radar — could be more attainable, league sources added.
General manager Mike Dunleavy and his staff have spent the past month evaluating prospects around the No. 11 pick, and league observers believe the Warriors are likely to protect that selection in trade talks as they weigh roster moves and long-term flexibility, sources said.
