Ever since Mike Dunleavy Jr. took over as the Warriors’ general manager, the team has struggled.
They have missed the playoffs two of the last three seasons with Dunleavy while simultaneously looking unsure of their path forward.
From the outside, the Warriors haven’t made sufficient moves to fulfill either of their goals: developing young prospects or acquiring star talent. The front office has stayed quiet about making roster upgrades.
The biggest red flags for Golden State are what Dunleavy has done, or rather, hasn’t done.
Dunleavy, Warriors’ Plans Have Gone Awry
It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler tearing his ACL threw a wrench in the Warriors’ plan to compete for a title. While Butler is expected to make a return sometime this season, Dunleavy is over-reliant on the soon-to-be 37-year-old coming back healthy.
Dunleavy fielded questions during a recent virtual interview and discussed Butler and Moses Moody’s injury rehab. He implied that the front office is banking on the roster, as currently constructed, being fully healthy.
“They’re doing well,” Dunleavy said of their recovery, “and we haven’t even gotten to the point of kind of readiness, availability, when they may be back. We just know, like night one, October 21 against the Lakers, those guys won’t be available, and they won’t be in the near term after that. So, we’re prepared for it, and we look forward to getting it back when we can.”
Dunleavy has given himself extra credit for the Butler acquisition, perhaps to justify the move being the biggest deal he’s made since joining the front office. Yes, Butler did fit in well with the team – particularly with Curry.
If the squad is healthy in the spring, Dunleavy believes in their chances as formidable playoff opponents.
However, the Warriors’ issue is that the scenario is not their reality at the moment, and may not be in the future. Expecting Butler to come back at a level where he can contribute efficiently immediately is impractical.
Dunleavy is stuck in the past on numerous topics, from Butler’s previous play with the team to their success up until Curry got injured in the 2025 postseason.
Curry turns 39 next season. He doesn’t have time to linger in a holding pattern of where the team could go in a perfect dream situation.
Dunleavy’s Decision-Making
Dunleavy also referenced the future picks the Warriors own in the upcoming drafts as backup saving graces. He pointed out that the organization could use them in a package to land a star if the opportunity arises. A situation which may not come to fruition – at least not in the time frame the Warriors need it to.
Dunleavy first wants to see his squad in one piece before shaking up the roster.
“We’ve got really good players. We need to get healthy, and then evaluate and see where we’re at. And if we need to get better, I know we can get better. So there’s a path,” he said.
“Our main thing the last few years has simply been to be in the mix. And I thought the year we lost to Minnesota, we were in the mix, and we got hurt, and that happens. But that’s kind of what you’re aiming for, and you need some good luck, some good fortune; you need some things to bounce your way.”
Dunleavy is right in that luck is an integral factor in a team’s success. However, the injury plague that consumed the locker room can’t be dismissed. It may not be his fault that players got hurt, but it is on him to find a way to give Curry a final chapter of basketball that is somewhat competitive.
There are no guarantees that any team will win a title, but Curry deserves at least a chance. Every day that goes by without a healthy roster is another day that Dunleavy is essentially watching Curry’s prime wane.
Justifying His Reasoning
Dunleavy justified the lack of acquisitions by once again banking on the belief that the team will eventually be whole. The Warriors can’t win a title until the end of spring. To Dunleavy, that means that there is no rush to get anything done.
If the penultimate goal was much earlier in the season, like when Butler and Moody would likely still be absent, then he may consider making moves.
“I want to be careful about the length of the season,” Dunleavy said. “As we’ve seen the last two years, injuries have side railed us, and so we have to be careful about trying to go out and win the championship in August. If this were the In-Season Cup we were solely focused on, yeah, we probably have a different roster right now. We’d be getting ready for a sprint, but it’s a marathon, and we have a full season to get through, and we have the ability to, you know, improve our team not only in the offseason throughout the season.”
In the interview, Dunleavy claimed winning was a priority. Yet all of his statements contradicted the sentiment. There’s no guarantee Moody, and particularly Butler, will come back this season to provide the Warriors the lift they desperately need.
Not only is Dunleavy counting on Moody and Butler’s health, but he’s also counting on Curry’s. In the absence of his Robin, all the weight falls on him again.
Overloading Curry is a costly choice for two reasons: At 38-years-old, his body already has enough to deal with in the playoffs; running him into the ground now will burn him out rapidly. Also, his knee injury from last season will still need to be managed for the rest of his career as it may exacerbate with more mileage.
The Warriors’ Core Pieces Deserve a Chance
By all accounts, Dunleavy’s lack of urgency has been deafening.
He claims it is important not to rush into impulsive decisions just for the sake of making something happen. Unfortunately for Golden State, the roster is not deep enough to warrant that mindset.
Franchise changers such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are off the market now. But even with the big fish taken, that doesn’t mean there aren’t players who can still help the team.
Curry is not the kind of star to outwardly demand a trade in a brash manner. That doesn’t mean that his kind nature or otherworldly talent should be taken advantage of.
Dunleavy, Steve Kerr, and the Warriors’ vets have reportedly already accepted that they likely won’t be title contenders this season. Telling a group of Hall of Famers they won’t be in the mix for a championship while also expecting them to be ok with not having a clear direction or identity is a disservice to them.
A Shift in Management
There has particularly been a noticeable shift in the organization’s scouting for players since Bob Myers left the front office. Myers was Dunleavy’s predecessor and important in the team’s success. He was responsible for landing guys like Kevin Durant and Andrew Wiggins who helped the team win championships.
Myers’ success now as an advisor for the 76ers is a tough pill to swallow for Dub Nation. The former Warriors general manager helped sign LeBron James this offseason – one of the stars the Warriors reportedly circled. Myers now has a loaded roster with his new team as the 76ers are contenders with LeBron and Jaylen Brown.
Dunleavy stated that despite what others perceive about their inaction this offseason, he has tried hard to add help.
“We’re super aggressive,” he said. “I mean, if people knew the cold calls I made, offering a lot of stuff for players, you know, I think they’d realize how hard we’re trying.”
Dunleavy considers Butler’s potential return and Kristaps Porzingis‘ re-signing as similar to if they brought in new players.
“If people see us as running back a 37-win team, I would say we’ve added to that team, I would say we’ve added to that team, from the way it started last year with a player like Porzingis. And then most importantly, we get into the season, we’ll see how our guys come back from injuries like Moses and Jimmy.”
Warriors Need to Get Help
Insanity was once defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The Warriors’ repeated plan of hoping for health and a miraculous turnaround has proven foolish despite Dunleavy’s attachment to it.
Had it not been for Butler joining Golden State, Dunleavy’s tenure would be viewed as a complete failure.
With the future picks and current players the Warriors have, Dunleavy has time to make something happen. But he can’t wait too long. The unsteady ship carrying the franchise’s future is riding on his ability to navigate the waves.
And right now, it looks like the ship is slowly sinking.
Leave a comment