Fans left frustrated after revelation on Golden State Warriors trade plans

Following a season where they failed to make the playoffs for just the third time in 12 years, many expect significant change for the Golden State Warriors this offseason.

With limited financial capacity in free agency, the trade market appears the only real avenue for the Warriors to notably upgrade their roster. However, Golden State General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has downplayed the chance of a major trade being on the horizon.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. has poured cold water on the expectations that the Golden State Warriors will make a big trade in the coming weeks

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Dunleavy stated that there could be a big move but that "it's not something that must happen." The second-year GM also labelled himself a 'player development guy', pointing at the internal improvement that could come from Warrior young players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Yet after The Athletic's Anthony Slater posted a clip of Dunleavy's comments to X (formerly Twitter), a quick look at the replies would suggest that Golden State fans were less than impressed with their GM's response.

As frustrating as Dunleavy's comments may be, it's nothing but posturing and a standard response to such a question ahead of the draft, free agency and potential trade movement. He's not going to state that a trade will happen for multiple reasons -- it makes the franchise appear desperate which can lessen their power in negotiations, and it puts unnecessary angst on current players that could cause friction even if they're not ultimately moved.

All teams need to empower their own players, and that's exactly what Dunleavy did in alluding to his team's young talent. That doesn't mean they can't be traded, but it reiterates that they're valued members of the franchise. Again, that strengthens the player's worth in negotiations and ensures they retain confidence in the organization.

We have to remember -- this is someone who, just over 12 months ago, stated that he planned on having Jordan Poole for at least another four years, only to trade the young guard to the Washington Wizards just days later.

The point is -- take Dunleavy's comments with a grain of salt. This doesn't provide an indication of whether a trade will be forthcoming or not, but rather a typical response from someone with plenty on his plate over the coming fortnight.