Warriors GM Bob Myers is hoping his squad can make another championship run in 2022-23.
LOS ANGELES — As he strolled down the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles before Wednesday night’s ESPYS, Golden State general manager Bob Myers finally looked relaxed.
No doubt he’s enjoyed his summer. Last month the Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in eight years, and after a champagne-soaked victory parade, Myers has been busy fine-tuning the roster through Draft selections and various offseason moves.
“I like our team and where it’s at,” Myers told NBA.com. “I want to give the guys a chance to do it again.”
In other words, don’t expect the Warriors to reunite with Kevin Durant. Sure, they know first-hand how valuable Durant can be — he helped them win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 — but after claiming another championship without him, the Warriors appear to be comfortable moving forward with what they have.
We kept most of it together, but we have to stay healthy. I didn’t think we’d make it last year, but we did. I watch like you do. We’ll see what happens.”
— Warriors GM Bob Myers
Finals MVP Stephen Curry hosted The ESPYS and collected a handful of awards (Best NBA Player, Best Record-Breaking performance, Best Team). His backcourt mate, Klay Thompson, won the ESPY for Best Comeback Athlete. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala also attended the awards show to convey the Warriors’ sturdy championship fabric.
On their way to the title last season, the Warriors also leaned on All-Star wing Andrew Wiggins, and on combo-guard Jordan Poole. Not only do the Warriors hope to sign Wiggins and Poole to long-term extensions, they believe third-year center James Wiseman, second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga and second-year guard Moses Moody are ready for bigger roles in 2022-23.
Take a look at why Golden State emerged as NBA champions yet again.
It does not appear the Warriors want to sacrifice any of their youth or depth in pursuit of another marquee player.
“It’s a good group. We’re lucky. It’ll be fun to see,” Myers said. “We were really hunting last year. Now I guess we’re back to being the hunted, which I didn’t think we’d be. We’ll see. I think we can handle it.”
Still, some challenges could await. The Warriors would welcome Iguodala back, but the 18-year NBA veteran has remained undecided about his future. The Warriors also lost a key perimeter defender to Portland (Gary Payton II), a key versatile forward to Toronto (Otto Porter Jr.) and an accommodating role player to Phoenix (Damion Lee).
Most of those departures had to do with the Warriors hoping to trim their luxury tax bill. But it also had to do with their belief that they could compensate with their star players and young talent. The Warriors signed a dependable shooting guard (Donte DiVincenzo) and are reportedly set to add forward JaMychal Green, too, after he was recently waived by Oklahoma City. The Warriors hope those moves help offset the departures of Payton and Porter at a smaller price tag.
“We kept most of it together, but we have to stay healthy,” Myers said. “I didn’t think we’d make it last year, but we did. I watch like you do. We’ll see what happens.”
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Mark Medina is a senior writer/analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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