New Golden State Warriors’ General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has wasted no time making waves in his new role, changing the complexion of the team’s roster with a blockbuster trade on draft day last Thursday.
One week into the job, Dunleavy made his win-now intentions clear in dealing 23-year-old Jordan Poole for 38-year-old Chris Paul. In doing so he gave up future draft capital, along with Warrior rookies Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins.
Do fans deserve more honesty from Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State Warriors’ front office after comments on Jordan Poole last week?
The decision to move Poole wasn’t a surprise given his disastrous form during the playoffs, combined with a new four-year, $128 million contract that shapes as one of the worst in the league at present.
However, the timing of the deal did leave many off-guard after Dunleavy’s comments regarding Poole just 72 hours earlier. During his introductory press conference last Monday, the new GM confidently stated that the franchise was planning to “have him here for four more years at least.”
Poole ultimately lasted three days into those four years, dealt for a player that’s past his prime and who has commonly had injury issues come the postseason. Were Dunleavy’s comments a blatant lie to the media and fans, or did things simply shift dramatically in the hours before draft day?
Both can be true but there’s little doubt Dunleavy was dishonest in his comments. Does that mean he’d say something different if he had his time again? Absolutely not. Any good GM has to hold his hand private until the trade takes place, otherwise they lose leverage in trade negotiations.
Could Dunleavy have been less emphatic in response to the question on Poole’s future? Perhaps, but you’ve also got to maintain public confidence of the player while they’re still yours. The issue now for Dunleavy is that his public word means very little — who’s going to believe him if he comes out and re-affirms Jonathan Kuminga’s place on the roster in the coming weeks?
So, do fans deserve more honesty from Dunleavy and the front office? Not at all. Yet like any portion of life, if someone’s actions consistently vary from their word, then you ultimately need to take what they say with a grain of salt.