How Dunleavy has impressed Kerr in ‘difficult’ Warriors offseason

How Dunleavy has impressed Kerr in ‘difficult’ Warriors offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAS VEGAS – His statue one day will be visited by droves of fans outside Chase Center. When Klay Thompson’s playing career comes to an end, his jersey will hang from the rafters among the franchise’s all-time greats. No Warrior will ever wear No. 11 again.

The Warriors also had to pivot in a hurry. They couldn’t waste time in such a key offseason for a franchise that has seen the lights turn off for what was one of the best dynasties in any sport.

Knowing Thompson’s mindset to move on from the only NBA home he has known to join the Dallas Mavericks in free agency on a three-year, $50 million contract, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy quickly had to shift his focus in finding creative ways to improve a roster that failed to make the NBA playoffs last season.

Did he ever, too. Steve Kerr’s sole focus for the time being is leading Team USA Men’s Basketball to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The Warriors coach also has been lockstep in every decision Dunleavy has made, and for how much Kerr wanted Thompson to remain a Warrior, he couldn’t be happier with the strings Dunleavy has been able to pull thus far.

“I think Mike Dunleavy’s done an incredible job,” Kerr said Sunday at UNLV after Team USA’s second day of training camp.

Thompson wasn’t the only future Hall of Famer the Warriors have lost in the last week. Chris Paul’s one-year experiment in Golden State’s colors fell far short of expectations. To move on from Thompson taking his talents to Dallas, Dunleavy had to do something that has never been done before in NBA history.

He pulled off the league’s first six-team trade. Thompson technically was acquired by the Mavs through a sign-and-trade, where the Warriors added Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. The other teams involved outside the Warriors and Mavs were the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.

Hield came from Philadelphia, where he joined the 76ers from the Indiana Pacers at last season’s trade deadline….

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-08 04:12:00

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