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Pacific Notes: Paul, Ham, LeBron, Morris

October 30th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul came off the bench for the first time in his career Sunday night, and it looks like an arrangement that’s going to be successful for the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Paul became an immediate starter when he entered the league with New Orleans in 2005, but the possibility of being shifted to a reserve emerged when he was traded to a Golden State team that already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in its backcourt. Paul started the season’s first two games with Draymond Green injured, but moved into his new role when Green returned on Sunday.

“It works,” Paul told reporters after the game. “It gives us a bigger lineup. I’ve never been on a team probably with this type of depth. I’ve been on really good teams, don’t get it twisted. But not necessarily where you could say: ‘All these guys can start.’ And I think last year that was the best starting five in the league.”

The Warriors are coming off a season that was disrupted by players who were unhappy about their minutes and changes to their roles, so Steve Kerr sought to get control of the situation right away, Slater adds. Prior to training camp, he called in Paul, Green, Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney for a meeting where they discussed what to do about essentially having six starters.

Although it was decided that starting roles would be influenced by matchups, Kerr seems happy with Paul as the leader of the second unit and it appears that will continue as long as everyone stays healthy. Green is excited about the edge that brings to the team.

“When you’re talking about replacing Steph Curry with Chris Paul, it doesn’t get much better than that,” he said. “You’re taking your starting point guard out and the next point guard is Chris Paul? That’s incredible. We will have that advantage all year.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he needs to “tighten up” his rotation after Sunday’s loss in Sacramento, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham has been trying to acclimate Gabe Vincent, who missed much of the preseason with tightness in his lower back, while also dealing with the loss of Jarred Vanderbilt, who is sidelined with bursitis in his left heel. “My rotation, we got to really dig into that,” Ham said. “Really take a close look and so guys are in rhythm. We have a great collection of players. And I played in this league. When you know when you’re going in and who you’re playing with, that matters. So buckling down on our rotation, I’ll start there.”
The minutes reduction that Ham planned for LeBron James hasn’t lasted past the season opener, McMenamin adds. James logged 39 minutes in Sunday’s contest, which was the first game of a back-to-back. “Obviously, I don’t want to run Bron into the ground,” Ham said. “I don’t want to run (Anthony Davis) into the ground too early. Obviously, it was an overtime game tonight and they’re playing at a high level, so you want to leave them out there. But just having that balance.”
Clippers forward Marcus Morris missed his third straight game Sunday, with “coach’s decision” being the explanation, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. However, coach Tyronn Lue said Morris is “very involved, and he’s been great, especially with our young guys.”

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Green, CP3, Kuminga

October 27th, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Klay Thompson and the Warriors can finalize an extension at any time between now and June 30, 2024, so they didn’t need to come to an agreement before the regular season begins. Still, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes (via Twitter video), some players view opening night as an artificial deadline and prefer to table those talks until after the season if they don’t agree to terms by then.

Asked if he’s taking that route, Thompson didn’t confirm it one way or the other, but he also didn’t sound like a player who plans to be actively engaged in pursuing a new deal during the season.

“I’m focused on the daily dedication it takes to do this job,” Thompson said. “I’m not worried about an extension right now. That’ll all play itself out.”

Recent reports from ESPN and The Athletic have indicated that the Warriors and Thompson are pretty far apart on years and money, increasing the likelihood that the veteran sharpshooter could reach free agency next summer. It’s very possible the two sides will bridge that gap at some point between now and June 30, but Thompson acknowledged that he intends to savor this season “just in case” it’s his last in Golden State.

“Oh yeah, you never know what’s going to happen,” Thompson said. “I’m going to savor this as much as I can, especially in this uniform. I was here before it sweet, before it was four championships. Twenty-three wins (in 2011/12). I was here building the foundation, so yeah I’m going to savor it. Because everyone around the world thinks it’s sweet when they look at (the) Warriors, but it hasn’t always been like this. So I’m going to savor the heck out of it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Warriors forward Draymond Green won’t play on Friday vs. Sacramento, but he just needs to regain his proper conditioning and is “close” to returning to action, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN).
Regardless of whether or not Chris Paul continues to start for the Warriors once Green returns, his main role will be as the floor general for the team’s second unit, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Paul is the “quintessential” player for that role, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who observes that the veteran guard’s playing style represents the counterbalance to Golden State’s “organized chaos.”
Even after Green is back, Kerr expects it to take a few weeks for the Warriors to get fully comfortable with their new lineups and the new additions to their rotation, according to Andrews. “This is just the first glimpse of the regular season,” he said. “It usually takes 20, 25 games to really know your team and feel the actions you need, the combinations you have.”
After rolling with Jonathan Kuminga over Andrew Wiggins – and giving Gary Payton II some playing time – in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Kerr told reporters that he liked the way Kuminga and Payton were defending, and that he won’t hesitate to go with the hot hand in crunch time this season. “That’s how it’s going to be a lot of nights this year,” Kerr said, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “Whoever is playing best will finish the game.”

Warriors, Klay Thompson Making No Progress On Extension

October 15th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Extension talks between the Warriors and five-time All-Star wing Klay Thompson are at a standstill, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Speaking on NBA Countdown on Sunday night (Twitter video link), Wojnarowski indicated that Thompson could very well wind up on the free agent market next summer.

“I’m told that there has been absolutely no progress on a Klay Thompson extension in Golden State, that they are still apart on years and money,” he said. “There’s a very real possibility Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal.”

Thompson is entering the final season of his current five-year contract worth nearly $190MM. He’ll make $43,219,440 this season. His maximum salary in an extension projects to be upwards of $50MM, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll command the max as he enters his age-34 season. Thompson is eligible to sign an extension until June 30.

Golden State, of course, has salary concerns. While the team has regularly been willing to pay punitive luxury taxes, the creation of the second tax apron in the new CBA puts the Warriors’ front office in a more difficult spot.

Including Chris Paul‘s $30MM non-guaranteed salary, but without counting Thompson, Golden State is at the luxury tax and $20MM below the second apron next year, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Major injuries sidelined Thompson for the better part of two-and-a-half seasons. He bounced back last season to start 69 regular-season games, in which he averaged 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He made 41.2% of his 3-point attempts, right in line with his 41.6% career average, while knocking down a career-high 301 shots from beyond the arc.

If he can deliver a similar season, Wojnarowski believes Thompson will be valued on the free agent market despite his age.

“You know in the marketplace teams value shooting, they value high-level wing defense,” he said. “For Golden State, this has a chance to become the first real test of keeping together that core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.”

Former top Warriors executive Bob Myers, who also appeared on the show, believes Thompson would like to finish his career with Golden State.

“This is a delicate negotiation,” Myers said. “From what I know and see, he wants to stay and they want him to stay. Doesn’t mean it will happen. But it is a test … and this is probably the first real test.”

Klay Thompson “Absolutely” Wants To Spend Rest Of Career With Warriors

October 11th, 2023 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

If he doesn’t sign a contract extension between now and next June 30, Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2024.

However, speaking to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson downplayed any urgency in his contract situation, suggesting that “it’s not going to be a thing” and expressing a strong desire to remain in Golden State for the rest of this career.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” Thompson said. “To play for one franchise, man? That’s so rare. In any sport. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Australian Rules Football. To play for one club is insane. It’s some real legendary stuff. Even what Udonis Haslem did. He’s revered in Miami. Locally. That’s what I cherish.

“Going around the country, going around the world and people from Northern California or Warriors fans in general are just so prideful about the Warriors. And I was here before banners were hung up. So in a way, it’s our baby. You want to ride it out. I’ve just been so lucky to be a part of this franchise. It’d be so hard to envision myself in another uniform.”

Thompson will earn $43.22MM in 2023/24, the final season of the five-year, $190MM contract he signed in 2019. It’s unclear exactly what his next deal might look like. His maximum salary projects to be upwards of $50MM, but he’s extremely unlikely to command the max as he enters his age-34 season.

As Slater writes, Thompson won’t be looking to squeeze every possible dollar out of the Warriors when the two sides negotiate an extension. Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green accepted pay cuts when they signed their latest contracts with the team, but each also received a four-year, nine-figure commitment and a player option. Thompson and the Warriors could reach a similar compromise.

“I know if I just do my job and I’m in shape and I compete at my highest level, I’m going to make money in this league for a long time,” Thompson said. “So I don’t worry about it. I’m blessed beyond measure. Obviously you want to make the most in the window you have as an athlete. But I’m not going to let that get in the way of winning a championship. When you win, everything else will be taken care of.”

Because he’s on an expiring contract, Thompson will remain extension-eligible throughout the regular season even if he and the Warriors don’t reach an agreement before opening night.

Pacific Notes: Batum, LeBron, Hachimura, Christie, Warriors

October 6th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rumors that Nicolas Batum may be entering his final NBA season swirled in August following a series of tweets from his wife, Aurelie. She clarified in those tweets that her husband hasn’t formally decided to retire following the 2023/24 season and that his future beyond his current contract is still up in the air. This week at training camp, the Clippers forward confirmed that message, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes.

“I think I’ve done a lot in the NBA,” Batum said. “I’m trying to focus on this season. We’ll see what happens after this season. Maybe I’m going to stay, maybe not. I don’t know yet.

“… (I’m) thinking about what I’ve got left. All I’m thinking right now is I’m just ready for this year. … I’m really excited for this year and what’s ahead for this franchise, that’s for sure.”

Batum averaged 21.9 minutes per night in 78 appearances for the Clippers last season, his most games played in a season since 2013/14. The veteran anticipates having a rotation role again this season and indicated a willingness to play as much as head coach Tyronn Lue wants to use him, even though he’ll turn 35 in December.

“A bunch of guys want to get like minutes, and they don’t get it. I’m playing, so I’m not complaining about it,” Batum said. “You can’t be tired and complain because you play too much when guys only want opportunities to play.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:

No player was around LeBron James this offseason more than Rui Hachimura, according to LeBron, who has taken his Lakers teammate under his wing this offseason in the hopes of unlocking his full potential, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. James, the NBA’s oldest player, will sit out the team’s preseason opener on Saturday as the club manages his minutes, though he still plans to see plenty of action during the preseason, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Lakers guard Max Christie, who was expected to be given a chance to prove in training camp that he deserves a rotation spot, appears to be taking advantage of that opportunity, earning praise this week from coach Darvin Ham and his teammates, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “Max Christie is a dog! … His game surprised me a lot,” big man Jaxson Hayes said of Christie. “I already knew he was a good player, but he can really go.”
Warriors wing Klay Thompson said on Thursday that he’s up to the challenge of defending some power forwards this season and will do whatever’s asked of him (Twitter video link via Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area). Head coach Steve Kerr spoke about that plan earlier in the week.
Stephen Curry said he played a lot of pickup ball with new Warriors teammate Chris Paul this summer and believes the fit on offense will be “seamless” (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). The goal will be making sure the pairing works on defense as well.

Warriors Notes: McGruder, Green, Saric, Paul, Thompson

October 4th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Before Rodney McGruder signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the Warriors, his closest connection with Draymond Green came through an expletive-filled tirade that Green delivered three years ago, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. After McGruder had a verbal confrontation with Juan Toscano-Anderson, Green went on a two-minute postgame rant asking when McGruder became his team’s “tough guy.”

“Draymond and I talked it out before I got here,” McGruder said. “It’s all love. It’s just the competitive nature of the game. You say things, you do things, then you move on.”

Green has become one of McGruder’s top supporters, Letourneau adds, because he can identify with the work the 32-year-old guard had to put in to carve out a role in the NBA. McGruder went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013, then spent time in Hungary and the G League before earning a contract with Miami. He finds himself trying to earn another roster spot late in his career, which Letourneau notes involves the challenge of beating out veteran forward Rudy Gay.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Dario Saric had offers in free agency from several teams that needed frontcourt depth, but he opted for a veteran’s minimum deal with Golden State because he saw a good fit with the roster, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “I looked (around at different opportunities) a little bit those couple days,” Saric said. “I looked a little bit at the Warriors, how they run stuff, how I can fit there. Obviously I think I can. … I hope I’ll prove to fans that I deserve to be part of this team.” Saric’s decision reunites him with former Suns teammate Chris Paul, and he’s confident they can duplicate the pick-and-roll chemistry they had in Phoenix.
Paul’s priority will be to keep the offense flowing when Stephen Curry isn’t on the court, states Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. At media day, coach Steve Kerr said the team has always struggled to get points without its star in the game. “Even when we had Kevin (Durant) and that group that won back-to-back titles, our whole goal for the non-Steph minutes was to just put a great defensive team on the floor and win those minutes with defense,” Kerr said. “We’ve never really generated great offense with Steph on the bench. Chris will help us do that.”
Kerr plans to continue the practice of having Klay Thompson guard some power forwards, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr wants to have Curry, Paul and Thompson on the floor together frequently, and Andrew Wiggins is needed to match up with high-scoring small forwards.

Warriors Notes: Green, Joseph, Payton, Thompson, Paul, Gay, McGruder

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors provided a minor injury update on Draymond Green, who expects to miss four-to-six weeks with a left ankle sprain. According to the team, Green will be reevaluated in two weeks (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).

Golden State also had an update on veteran guard Cory Joseph, who signed with the Warriors in free agency. Joseph sustained a back injury while preparing with the Canadian national team for the World Cup, which caused him to miss the tournament.

According to Slater, the Warriors described the injury as a lower back lumbar strain, and Joseph will be reevaluated in two weeks. That means he’ll miss training camp.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

At Monday’s Media Day (Twitter links via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews), Green said he was disappointed with the injury, but he’s pleased with how his ankle is responding thus far and is focused on being in “even better shape by the time, whenever it is, that I start playing … it’s an opportunity for me to get better and continue to improve.”
Guard Gary Payton II was limited to just 15 games last season due to a lingering adductor injury, but he’s healthy now and says there’s a “night and day” difference entering 2023/24. “Ready to play 82 (games),” he said, per Slater (Twitter link).
Klay Thompson will be a free agent in 2024 unless he signs a contract extension. As Andrews tweets, Thompson says it’s “possible” a deal comes together in the next few months. “If not, life is still great,” he said. “I’m playing basketball in my 13th year in the NBA.”
There’s been a lot of speculation about who will start for the Warriors this season after the team traded for Chris Paul, who has never come off the bench in his long NBA career. But Paul noted that he was a reserve for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics, and he’s not concerned about starting in ’23/24. “Anybody who knows me knows that I’m all about winning,” Paul said, per Andrews (Twitter link). “Whatever I can do to help the team win.”
According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), both Rudy Gay and Rodney McGruder signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deals for training camp. Exhibit 9’s can only be one-year, minimum-salary contracts and do not count against the salary cap until the start of the regular season. Exhibit 9 contracts are primarily used to limit the team’s liability in the event of an injury.

Warriors Notes: Lineup, Howard, Roster Spots, Load Management, Kerr

September 25th, 2023 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The decision on the Warriors’ starting lineup will be made during training camp, coach Steve Kerr said in a video link provided by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Chris Paul will all get significant minutes regardless but Kerr wants to look at various combinations before making a decision.

“We basically have six starters, the way I look at it,” he said. “Only five can go each night, so I haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do. I want to see in training camp. We’re going to try to different combinations. Obviously, all six guys are going to play a lot of minutes for us. But if this is going to work, everyone is going to have to embrace it, regardless of who is starting and who isn’t.”

Kerr will look at a smaller lineup with either Green or Looney in the middle. However, he likes the chemistry that Green and Looney have developed over the years.

We have more on the Warriors:

In regard to Dwight Howard meeting with the front office, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the longtime center is just one of many candidates for the remaining roster spots. The Warriors have held open the 14th and 15th spots. “In general, we brought in maybe 40 or 50 guys this summer to get a further look at,” Dunleavy said, as relayed by Warriors on NBCS (video link). “Some of them, we’ll bring into camp.” Dunleavy added that he’s not targeting a specific position to fill one or both of those spots. “We’re kind of open,” he added.
Dunleavy said the team will follow the new league rules regarding load management, Warriors on NBCS relays in another video link. Kerr has sometimes rested multiple starters during back-to-backs in recent years. “The league makes the rules. We’ll play by them,” Dunleavy said. “That’s the best I can say.”
Kerr says he’ll run a tighter ship after the Warriors’ disappointing postseason performance, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “When you lose in the second round and you feel like you’ve had a disappointing year, it’s a lot easier to come in and be focused,” Kerr said. “It’s a lot easier for me to come in as a coach and be more demanding, and I think the players will expect that, too.”

Dunleavy Optimistic On Kerr, Thompson Extensions

September 25th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says he’s not concerned about entering the final year of his contract and anticipates he’ll be with the organization for the long haul, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

“I feel great about my position here and I want to be here … I’m not stressed about it at all,” Kerr said during a press conference on Monday. “I’m perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension. Makes no difference but I fully expect to be here.”

Shooting guard Klay Thompson is also in the final year of his contract. He’ll make $43.2MM during the upcoming season.

General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is optimistic he’ll be able to reach agreements with both Kerr and Thompson, Warriors on NBCS tweets.

“On both sides, there’s a desire to extend or be back, to make sure those guys are with the Golden State Warriors moving forward,” Dunleavy said. “Both sides feel that way and when you’re working off of that idea, you can come to a deal.”

Dunleavy, who also held a press conference, added that there’s “no specific timeline” to reach extension deals with Kerr and Thompson.

In a story written prior to the press conferences, Slater said it’s anticipated that negotiations with the head coach will be less complicated, since there are no luxury tax concerns with coaching salaries.

No official offers or counteroffers have been made from either side regarding an extension for Thompson, Slater reports. However, neither side is in a hurry to get something done. Slater anticipates that talks will heat up prior to the season.

Golden State is intent on not hitting the second tax apron next summer, which makes those negotiations trickier. In consultation with The Athletic’s cap expert Danny Leroux, Slater estimates that Thompson could be offered anywhere from around $42MM to approximately $51.9MM as a starting salary, but suggests the Warriors would be taking a risk if they go much above $42MM since they won’t know the actual cap increase until after the season.

If they don’t reach an extension agreement, they’d risk losing one of their longtime core pieces.

Pacific Notes: Bradley, Warriors, Thompson, Suns

September 16th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Tristan Tucker

With the Warriors eyeing the free agent market for a possible frontcourt addition, Tony Bradley is an option to keep an eye on, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Golden State is actively considering signing Bradley to a deal, according to Charania.

Bradley, 25, holds career averages of 4.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 179 career appearances across six NBA seasons. After being drafted by the Lakers with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Bradley’s rights were immediately traded to the Jazz. He played three seasons in Utah and also had stints with Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Chicago.

This news comes off the heels of the Warriors scheduling to meet with free agent center Dwight Howard next week. As we noted in that story, Golden State is continuing to do its due diligence on available bigs. The team was interested in Harry Giles and JaVale McGee before each agreed to deals with other teams. Charania mentions Dewayne Dedmon as another player on the Warriors’ radar, while Derrick Favors is another option.

As we wrote on Friday, Golden State is at 13 players on standard contracts and needs to get to at least 14 by opening night.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Appearing on an episode of The Lowe Post with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne said the Warriors have opened extension talks with guard Klay Thompson. According to Shelburne, Thompson, who’s due to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, could end up with a deal similar in structure to the four-year, $100MM contract Draymond Green signed this summer. That would mean Thompson could be in line to receive a three-year extension. The report that the two sides are engaging in these discussions isn’t a major surprise, as owner Joe Lacob went on record stating his intentions to keep Thompson a Warrior for the “rest of his career” earlier this month.
The NBA’s new player participation policy is ultimately a good thing for fans, according to Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic (subscriber link), who takes a deeper look at what it means for the Suns. Phoenix is among 15 teams with multiple players who are affected by the policy, which includes any player named to an All-NBA Team or All-Star Game across the past three seasons. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are all impacted by the rule, and Scott explores how that will impact each player’s availability for the Suns’ upcoming season and slate of nationally televised games.
In case you missed it, the Clippers, Warriors and Suns are among teams who are over the NBA’s second tax apron and are limited to just minimum contracts for potential veteran signings.