A huge decision looms ahead for the dynasty.
Per a report by Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors and Bob Myers have made little ground in terms of a contract extension.
Here is a notable snippet from the report that’s hidden behind a paywall:
“Both sides exchanged offers and counter-offers several months ago, and there has since been no traction on a new deal, league sources say. The Warriors have not yet presented an offer that has blown Myers away, but there’s also a growing sense that even a competitive market offer — near the top of the executive food chain — may not keep Myers with the franchise that he joined in April 2011 as an assistant general manager before his promotion to GM in April 2012.”
It also states that Myers also received offers from “private equity funds and roles within other sports leagues,” which opens the possibility of Myers accepting a role well outside the confines of the NBA.
In an offseason that could serve as a crossroads of sorts for the organization, Myers’ presence or absence could very well make or break the foundation of the Warriors dynasty. Not only has he had to make decisions in terms of contracts and acquisitions — he’s also served as a mediator between several parties, mainly between ownership and the coaching staff/players.
Myers is a trusted presence, especially by the franchise core consisting of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Green, in particular, has a player option worth $27.6 million coming up in the offseason, and Myers’ decision could weigh heavily on whether Green decides to pick it up or look for more enticing offers elsewhere.
There’s also the question of Jordan Poole, whose four-year, $123 million extension kicks in at the start of next season. Despite averaging 20.4 points in the regular season, Poole struggled to surpass or even match his shooting and scoring efficiency marks from last season, especially in the playoffs, where he averaged a paltry 10.3 points on 44.7 TS%.
Without Myers to navigate the franchise through the decisions above and other upcoming events such as the draft — as well as filling the roster with complementary pieces to help the core succeed — the Warriors may be looking at the possibility of a soft rebuild.
Or worse: a full re-tooling of the roster under a general manager who is more amenable to suggestions by ownership rather than acting as a bridge between multiple stakeholders.
(Who could that successor be? The report states that Mike Dunleavy Jr. — Myers’ right-hand man as the Vice President of Basketball Operations — is viewed as the natural candidate.)
Should that happen, it’s safe to say Curry, Green, and Thompson wouldn’t want to be around for that scenario, understandable given their thirst for more championships — a possibility that has a high chance of happening should Myers be the first domino to fall.