Heading into the 2023-24 NBA season, Mike Dunleavy took on a difficult task when he became general manager of the Warriors.
Nearly a year later, he faces an offseason filled with potentially franchise-altering decisions, primarily related to the future of impending NBA free agent and beloved franchise icon Klay Thompson.
But the notion of being the man responsible for potentially breaking up a dynasty, if Thompson signs elsewhere as a free agent, doesn’t faze Dunleavy, who spoke to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show” about the increasingly likely possibility. .
“I probably don’t think about it that way,” Dunleavy said. “I just look at it as (the person in) the decision-making role, you have to do what’s best for the franchise one way or another. That’s what I signed up for. I understand the dynamics. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.
“But if we keep that mindset, that focus, we will do the right things.”
In addition to the Thompson situation, Dunleavy is managing the future of Chris Paul and the pressure of potentially landing Paul George or another big-name star, all in an effort to maximize Steph Curry’s final years by winning another NBA championship.
George has been linked to trade rumors with the Warriors, and a source confirmed to KeynoteUSA Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole that Golden State has shown interest in the nine-time NBA All-Star.
NBA insider Marc Stein also reported Friday that the Warriors are prioritizing a trade for George over re-signing Thompson.
While Dunleavy obviously couldn’t go into specifics, he made it clear that no cards will be left off the table during the offseason.
“I think it’s possible because we have the assets to do it,” Dunleavy said. “When you look at our roster, you look at our picks, you look at everything we have, we certainly have an attractive organization with a competitive ownership group, a great coach, desirable players to play with.
“All those things that we have lend themselves to believing that we are capable of making a big move if it is on the table or available. The hardest part about that is that there aren’t that many guys available that you think are worthy of giving all that up. We’ll see. This evolves, it changes very quickly. But the only thing I know is that we are in a position to do it.”
Thompson, Curry and Draymond Green have played together on the Warriors for 12 seasons, winning four championships along the way. All good things must come to an end, and if that end is near for this dynasty, Dunleavy is ready.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.