Oubre disaster likely to sway Warriors from trading for All-Star forward

By most measurements the Golden State Warriors decision to trade for Kelly Oubre Jr. in 2020 was less than ideal, perhaps bordering on disaster given the over $80 million in luxury tax that accompanied the deal.

Oubre's on-off rating was -12.1 and the Warriors were a below .500 team with him on the floor, compared to holding a 12-5 record in the 17 games he missed. Were Golden State ever winning the championship or making a deep playoff run in 2021? Unlikely. So really, nothing gained nothing totally lost right? Outside the finances and a couple of second-round picks of course.

However, it appears the Oubre move wasn't totally forgettable after all, with the entire ordeal now reportedly impacting how the Warriors evaluate talent and make decisions across the roster.

The Kelly Oubre Jr. failure is still influencing the Golden State Warriors present decisions, including disinterest in trading for Brandon Ingram

Monte Poole of NBC Sports delved into Golden State's new-found perspective from the Oubre situation on Wednesday, outlining how there must be a level of consensus across the franchise when it comes to roster decisions.

"Brandon Ingram, to cite an example, is among those who, according to sources, does not meet that level," Poole wrote. "There’s enough pro/con that any chance of him coming to Golden State is minuscule."

This may help explain why the Warriors haven't necessarily made any blockbuster deals in recent times, perhaps owing to a more conservative approach after the bold move for Oubre backfired. Most would understand the hesitancy on Ingram, particularly after his major struggles playing under Steve Kerr for Team USA at last year's FIBA World Cup.

While there may be obvious fit concerns, some fans may believe Golden State simply need the extra firepower, and that Ingram's shot-creation alone should outweigh the potential issues. Whether rightly or wrongly, it no longer appears the Warriors are willing to take such risks.

Their recent transactions also indicate the priority to acquire players that precisely fit the Warrior mould -- high IQ guys capable of being effective in Steve Kerr's read-and-react style. In the past 18th months they've traded for Gary Payton II -- someone they already knew fit their system -- and Chris Paul -- a questionable positional fit but whose IQ was always going to make him helpful.

They've drafted Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, both of who appeared ideal fits from the time they were selected. Dario Saric also fit that mould in free agency, but his individual defensive issues proved too much to overcome. This offseason they've acquired Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton, both of who are versatile two-way players. Buddy Hield appears less like a Warrior fit, but his elite three-point shooting was needed after the departure of Klay Thompson.

Everything the Warriors are doing seems well calculated, perhaps too much so and to their detriment. Fans may be able to understand, accept and move on from the Ingram resistance, but that same patience won't always be there if the franchise isn't willing to take a risk on another star that becomes available.