Team by Team: Golden State Warriors

The 2023/24 season was one that Warriors fans want to forget about, the home crowd only got to see 3 wins at home out of the 41 they play there and 7 wins in all, so it was a lot of losing. It was a bummer too, because they didn’t have their own 1st. There is nothing Tim could’ve done about that though as he’d not traded it away and was rather something that happened due to eager to win management before him.

Season Highlight: Daz coming in as the GM. This is nothing against Tim, but the team had just finished last in the league in record, and to have a GM come in who just won a championship. It just seems to have jumpstarted the rebuild process. 

Season Lowlight: Before the year started we all knew they wouldn’t be great, just didn’t think they’d be 7 wins bad, especially with this last 2k having lots of variations who won on games and there not being as much dominance. 

Season Star: Nikola Vucevic- With Vucevic being an all star somehow, he gets the opportunity to be their bright spot. They also lacked a big man early on in the year and needed someone to play the spot in the middle to have a better chance in games. He averaged a double-double while with the Warriors this year.

Season Flop: Max Strus- With the sign and trade this offseason and him getting off his minimum contract and onto over MLE money, he just had higher expectations than what was reached. He was scoring 12 ppg, but with a team who needed guys to step up more, Strus was one of those guys that was being relied on more, but it didn’t happen.

Best Trade: Golden State sends Khris Middleton, Dalano Banton, and Pacers 2024 1st for Nikola Vucevic, Malik Monk and Hornets 2024 1st. 

As much as Vucevic isn’t like his old self in the NBA anymore, he still is very solid in 2k, and they were desperately in need of a center. Middleton is also hurt a lot now, and the trade had looked better at the time, but the Pacers went back into being in the lottery so the pick difference wasn’t as much as we’d thought it’d be. Malik Monk is also a very solid player and was in the running for 6MOTY.

Worst Trade: Golden State sends Zach Lavine and Jalen Wilson for Buddy Hield, Collin Sexton, Davion Mitchell, Pacers 2024 1st, and Cavs 2028 2nd.

Davion was traded basically for a 1st rounder, and Buddy Hield was turned into Strus. I would’ve rather had CJ McCollum instead of Buddy Hield and Collin Sexton as he could’ve provided some wins this year and you could probably get a good package for him mid season. He should’ve just kept the picks and not put them into a guy buried on the depth chart in Davion.

Golden State sends Bismack Biyombo for Nassir Little and Knicks 2027 2nd.

Other Notable Trades:

Golden State sends Herb Jones for Gary Payton II, Pelicans 2024 1st, Bucks 2028 1st, and 2 2nd round picks.

This trade was decent in my opinion, I know Herb Jones is very valuable, but 2 1st rounders and a decent role player when healthy in Gary Payton II is a decent package. You never know what range the picks that are 4-5 years away will fall either.

Golden State sends Buddy Hield for Max Strus.

They saved some money so a decent trade and got to keep Max Strus’ money to trade this offseason, so think it was kind of a win.

Golden State sends Collin Sexton and Cavs 2028 2nd for Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, Xavier Tillman Sr, and Jamal Cain.

Okoro hasn’t developed and panned out like people thought he would, but he’s still got time and only signed that 2nd contract this offseason. Tillman can play some really valuable minutes, he is a little small to play center in 2k, but he’s found a role in the NBA and stuck.

Golden State sends Jericho Sims for Luka Samanic and 4 2nd round picks. 

Decent get, Sims seems more like a 2k glitch guy so he could be out of the league at any time honestly, and 4 2nds is decent for a guy like that. 

Draft Grades:

B+- Newton is a really good player, and was a key piece in the Huskies going back to back, makes sense to take a shot on him in the 2nd. I’ve heard Post is a shooting big and is a good value pick. I don’t know much about Ajinca and Watson though. 

Future:

The future for Golden State is looking brighter than it was when the team was taken over by Tim. There is more dispersed talent, they have more picks now, but I still feel that the team has a ways to go. They still will have lots of spots to fill in FA, but don’t have as many picks as they did prior to Daz taking over. He has an idea behind all of his moves, the team should look better this year, but I don’t see them being in the playoffs with how much talent in out West.