A refusal to trade for Jaylen Brown may have already cost the Golden State Warriors their dream of acquiring LeBron James, but that could be just the start of cascading effects as the franchise faces a gloomy situation.
The Warriors reportedly held talks with the Boston Celtics on a Brown trade according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, yet were ultimately unwilling to meet a steep asking price before the former Finals MVP was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers who then also acquired James on Friday.Â
Jaylen Brown trade refusal threatens to cost Warriors more than LeBronÂ
Golden State are already drawing significant criticism in the wake of James’ decision, but this could only be the start of ramifications from their complete lack of activity over the past month.
There’s already speculation over the future of Stephen Curry. That just simply wouldn’t be the case if the Warriors had landed even one of Brown or James, and if by the very slight chance that the two-time MVP doesn’t finish his career in the Bay, we’ll undoubtedly look back at this moment as a big reason why.
Losing Curry is highly unlikely, but missing out on future targets is a fait accompli as a result of not landing Brown and/or James. Which external players actually want to play for this team right now? Mario Hezonja turned down interest from Golden State to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers upon his return to the NBA, while Anfernee Simons was another player of interest who signed with guess who - the 76ers - shortly after the Brown trade.Â
This is a tough reality the Warriors find themselves in, having not acquired a single player through trade or free agency this offseason as external pressure now weighs perhaps more heavily than any other time in recent years.
Warriors have extensive history of stars rejecting them
Perhaps the biggest impact here is that every time Golden State swing-and-miss on a big name player, other stars assuredly take notice and we’re now left with an extensive history of those types of players being unwilling to join the team in recent years.
Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby. Lauri Markkanen. Kevin Durant. Paul George. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kawhi Leonard. Anthony Davis. Now Brown and James. It's quite the list.
That group of players either had enough power due to their contract situation to push against a trade to the Bay, or the Warriors couldn’t complete a deal because they weren't willing to meet the asking price despite reported interest.Â
The Warriors need to find a way to turn the tide because their miss on Brown has already likely cost them James, and will continue to see them failing to attract notable names in the future.
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