Golden Warriors bracing for Myers exit, dynasty hanging by a thread

The Golden State Warriors’ dynasty is on the brink of losing one of its major pieces, with general manager and president of basketball operation, Bob Myers, potentially in his final weeks at the franchise.

According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors and Myers have had ‘no substantial contract extension talks in months,’ and Golden State are preparing for the likelihood that Myers leaves the franchise this summer.

Bob Myers’ return to the Golden State Warriors is unlikely, and his exit could trigger the downfall of a dynasty.

Myers took over as general manager and president of basketball operations in 2012, promoted from his previous role as assistant GM. The engineer of nearly a decade-long dynasty, the Warriors have been to the playoffs in nine seasons with Myers in the role. The 48-year-old has assembled four championship-winning teams during his twelve-year tenure in Golden State.

The two sides engaged in preliminary talks on an extension several months ago, but per recent reports, there has been little traction on a new deal since. Myers is said to have a competitive market around the league and is torn on his future, even considering walking away from basketball altogether.

While extending Myers is a top priority for Golden State this off-season, another is Draymond Green’s contract for 2023-24 season and beyond. The 33-year-old has a $27.6 million player option for next season, and whether or not the Warriors are able to retain Myers will surely influence Green’s decision to stay or leave in free agency. Myers drafted Green with the 35th overall selection in the 2012 NBA draft, and the two have formed a special bond over the years.

"“He means the world to me,” Green told the media after the Warriors’ second-round playoff exit. “Working with him has been a complete honor. He’s great. He knows the business and I learn from him. To say that doesn’t matter, it’s a lie. Of course, it matters. But there’s a bunch of things to take into account. Yes, that is one of the things that matters. All right? But ultimately, I can’t hinge my whole decision on that. But f— right it matters.”"

Green has recently emphasized his desire to remain a Warrior for life, and Golden State would love nothing more than to have him back long-term. Yet with Myers likely out the door, contract negotiations will look and feel very different on both sides.

The same can be said about Klay Thompson who only has one more year left on the five-year, $190 million max contract he signed in 2019. Thompson will be up for an extension this summer, or face a free agency decision 12 months later, and the star guard is expected to have to take a pay cut if he wants to remain with the team.

With the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement set to kick in next season, the Warriors could be looking at a total payroll (player salaries + luxury tax) of well over $400 million. Golden State’s ownership group has been willing to reach deep into their pockets to fund championship-caliber rosters in the past, but majority owner Joe Lacob has made it clear that he won’t entertain figures of that magnitude.

In order to keep the core intact, financial sacrifices will have to be made. Per an article by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, a request for Klay Thompson to take a pay cut may ‘land softer’ coming from Bob Myers rather than a replacement with less camaraderie.

Now, it’s looking increasingly likely that those discussions won’t be facilitated by Myers, and his departure could spell the end of the Golden State Warriors as we know them.