As announced on Friday, the Golden State Warriors have chosen to promote Vice President of Basketball Operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. who replaces Bob Myers in the role of General manager after 11 plentiful years.
With the offseason approaching and basketball enthusiasts engaging in fervent analysis of potential moves the new GM should make, it is worth exploring the decisions that Dunleavy should avoid during his early tenure.
Let’s look at three offseason moves that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State Warriors’ front office should avoid making in the coming months.
1. Trading Jordan Poole
Despite experiencing a somewhat underwhelming season following a new four, $128 million contract that’ll kick in from next season, the Warriors would be ill-advised in moving Jordan Poole to another team. The training camp situation with Draymond Green has certainly fueled trade speculations, as has Poole’s playoff struggles which have further sparked discussions regarding his future.
However, Poole still has the potential to be a valuable component in Steve Kerr’s rotation — during the regular season he was still an incredibly valuable offensive force for the Warriors scoring over 24 points per 75 possessions on a slightly below-average True Shooting percentage. Yes he’s a huge liability on defense, but maybe he can take motivation from a younger Stephen Curry who wasn’t a great defender either.
Before making any decisions regarding Poole, the Warriors should give it another try. Maybe it’s time to start Poole and bench someone from the veteran core? Even though Golden State’s starting five was still the best five-man lineup in the league, playing alongside the starters is where Jordan generates most of his value. No matter how they do it, it’s in the team’s best interest to retain the young guard