If you base the Golden State Warriors' season purely on results, their 2023-24 campaign is nothing short of a disaster. A tenth-placed standing in the Western Conference with 10 games remaining is abhorrent for a team still possessing a superstar in Stephen Curry.
Yet if you branch out to the specifics of the Warriors' season, there's certainly reasons for positivity and optimism heading towards next season. Golden State's young players have shone, led by a significant leap from third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga.
The Golden State Warriors face a complicated offseason as they once again seek to balance their future with win-now ambitions
If the Warriors' season finishes as currently forecast -- in disappointing fashion with little to no playoff impact -- then one would expect change to be made. While Curry remains a superstar-level player, the organization owes it to him to act in a manner that prioritizes the now.
In saying that, any franchise's path to focusing on the present usually occurs by sacrificing the future in the way of young players and draft picks. Golden State will have to wrestle with that fact, one that's only been further complicated by the impact Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are making right now.
Speaking on 95.7 The Game last week, Hoops Tonight's Jason Timpf spoke about the complexity the Warriors will face in the offseason.
"You kind of have the frontcourt of the future with Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The future feels more legitimate now which makes it more complicated. You'd have to see a real strong playoff appearance to justify win-now moves."Jason Timpf
It begs the question of what the Warriors need to add in the offseason -- is it simply about adding more star-level talent, and if so does that player need to be a specific positional fit? Whatever the answer is, the young players shouldn't stand in the way of a significant upgrade if it were available.
Kuminga earned himself untouchable status before February's deadline, and probably rightly so given the scoring threat he has developed into. The 21-year-old isn't a guaranteed future All-Star though, and so while it would take a lot to give him up, it shouldn't be a case of Kuminga being completely off the table.
Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have already proven themselves as NBA players and will be on incredibly valuable contracts over the next three seasons. Again though, that doesn't make them immune to being dealt if the right package comes along.
The Warrior younger players have complicated the franchise's offseason plans through their performances in the last few months. However, if the priority truly is Curry, then no one else should complicate the front office's mindset to the point that it hinders what the franchise superstar can still achieve.