Warriors owner Joe Lacob has never been shy. Since buying the Warriors in 2010, he has (with a lot of help from Stephen Curry) completely changed the Warriors fortunes around from being one of the worst franchises in the league to champions within five years of buying the team, his success cannot be denied. In a way, this success (and his generous spending) has earned him a voice within the Warriors’ management on player personnel. Now, with Warriors trade rumors picking up, Lacob’s affinity for some of their past draft picks may be hurting the chances of a Warriors trade.
Why Joe Lacob’s Draft Crushes Can Hurt Warriors Trade Possibilities
Joe Loves His Warriors’ Draft Picks
Lacob has never been quiet about his belief in some of the Warriors’ draft picks during his tenure. From calling James Wiseman a “once-in-a-decade” guy to calling recent pick Brandin Podziemski a “future All-Star,” Lacob stays high on his guys—maybe to a fault. The Warriors probably kept Wiseman in the lineup (and on the team) much longer than they should have, in part to please Lacob. They ended up holding onto Wiseman way too long and not getting any value out of him once they decided to trade him.
He Doesn’t Want a Kuminga Trade
Jonathan Kuminga has always been one of Lacob’s favorites. He has said that Kuminga’s ceiling is “unlimited,” and he probably really believes it. Even as the rest of the Warriors front office and coaching staff have gone through their ups and downs with Kuminga, Lacob hasn’t faltered in his belief and support.
When the Warriors recently pursued Lauri Markkanen in the offseason, it was reported that Lacob wasn’t psyched about putting Podziemski or Kuminga in the trade. Although that may not have been the final reason the trade never happened, holding onto these young players with potential instead of going all-in on the latter years of Curry’s career has annoyed some Warriors fans annoyed.
Warriors Trade Rumors
In the last few weeks, the Warriors trade rumors have picked up. Of course, Kuminga is in the middle of a lot of them. He wasn’t able to reach an extension with the Warriors this offseason. Although he has shown flashes that show his star potential, he hasn’t been able to show the consistency that proves the Warriors should bet on him as the future of the franchise.
Amidst Kuminga trade rumors, ESPN recently reported that Lacob still has an “affinity” for the former seventh overall pick. Lacob’s unwillingness to accept that the Kuminga, like Wiseman and Podziemski, are simply not as good as he thinks they are is starting to hurt the Warriors’ chances at contending for a championship.
Maybe if Lacob had not been so intent on trying to create “two timelines” by contending for championships while developing young draft picks, the Warriors might be in a better position to maximize the end of Curry’s career. Or maybe Lacob is “light-years” ahead and sees something in the Warriors’ young players that coaches, fans, and other teams simply cannot see.
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