- 2 days ago
Willard and Dibs continue to react to what Mike Dunleavy said about Steph Curry and his future with the Warriors. Is there any chance the Warriors may want Curry to want out?
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00:00We're getting your reaction to this Dunleavy press conference yesterday, and listen, I want to be sure everybody gets that
00:10what I was throwing out there a few minutes ago, it is a question.
00:13It's not a take. It's a curiosity that I have after listening to this. It's not news that the Warriors
00:21are in a pickle.
00:22I guess the question is, what do you think Mike Dunleavy and Joe Lacob really want in their heart of
00:28hearts?
00:28In their heart of hearts, because we do have to remember something. I think it's always important to remember this.
00:35Yes, they work for and are the Warriors. Therefore, do they appreciate Steph Curry more than anybody? Absolutely.
00:45At the same time, they are not viewing this the same way we do. It's a different lens, in my
00:52opinion.
00:53We are fans. We are so emotionally attached to Steph Curry, it matters like crazy to us that he does
01:01not spend another day in another uniform.
01:03I'm not saying that doesn't matter to Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy. I really think that matters.
01:08But, for example, Bob Myers, not only would he have, he did say the same things when he was the
01:15GM of the Warriors.
01:16And now he works for the Sixers.
01:19Right.
01:19So he probably doesn't give two bleeps where Steph Curry finishes his career now.
01:26He probably would like him to do it in Philadelphia.
01:28So there is a much more sort of cold, hard business reality here that Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy face
01:37on a daily basis with regard to Steph Curry's finish.
01:41And if he truly doesn't know if Steph Curry has more than half a season in him and he's being
01:48faced with another two years after this one at max money,
01:53do you think Mike Dunleavy, who's already branded as a little bit cold-hearted sometimes,
01:59do you really think Mike Dunleavy in his heart of hearts is like, man, the most important thing,
02:05violin playing, is that Steph Curry gets a video at the end of all of this and all of the
02:15fanfare.
02:16We probably won't win very much, but three more years of hoping that his knee can play half of a
02:24year.
02:24I just, I got curiosity as to whether or not that's actually what is activating Mike right now.
02:30Well, it's not only about Mike.
02:32And in fact, it's not really about Mike at all.
02:34It's about Joe.
02:35And as you were laying that out there with tremendous virality and look forward to seeing that on social media
02:41later tonight,
02:41I do think that there are two different agendas that are potentially in play.
02:46So if you're Joe Lacob and you are the principal owner, but you represent the ownership group,
02:51the idea of not having Steph Curry is probably going to be bad for your bottom line because he is
02:56box office.
02:57The other side of it is what Mike Dunleavy said where you have 43 games.
03:01I mean, I hope we can get more than 43, but if you only get 43, that hurts the box
03:06office,
03:06but it also hurts the ability for you to be a good team.
03:10And Mike Dunleavy's job is not to make Joe Lacob money.
03:13That's part of his job, but his job is to get a good team out there that can compete.
03:17And so if Steph is not in a spot where he can be healthy and yet he's box office,
03:23maybe there's a little bit of a divide where ownership is thinking we got to keep this guy as long
03:27as possible
03:28because we always sell out and margaritas are 26 bucks a pop for top shelf.
03:33You get that little Cadillac margarita.
03:35We can't afford to not have him.
03:37Their hands are completely tied.
03:38So, of course, they're going to do what Steph Curry wants to do.
03:46But I just thought it was very careful chess to go out yesterday and be like, look, this is all
03:53up to Steph.
03:54It's all up to Steph.
03:56But then to follow it up with what sounds like, I really, I mean, fingers crossed that he can play.
04:04And then, you know what I mean?
04:06And then the next breath, it's like, if he wants a max extension, he gets a max extension for two
04:10more years.
04:11Oof.
04:12That's rough.
04:13Maybe this is exactly what I'm asking.
04:16If Steph Curry were to go to Mike Dunleavy and Joe Lacob and say I'd like out, do you think
04:23Mike Dunleavy, on his way home, in his car by himself, would be crying or smiling?
04:30Probably crying.
04:31You think?
04:32It depends on how it goes.
04:34And so, Steph Curry's got, what, this year?
04:36That's it.
04:37One more year on his deal.
04:38I mean, for the moment.
04:39Right.
04:40So, you get to August 29th.
04:42Shout out my daughter's birthday.
04:43And hopefully a present for her will be that Steph signs.
04:46But you get to that date and the two sides agree that we're going to wait.
04:50And so, Steph gets into November, December, January, and, you know, the Warriors are struggling and he's unsigned.
04:57Then I think it becomes a little bit of a challenge because are you just going to let him walk
05:01for nothing at the end of the year?
05:03No.
05:03You probably wouldn't.
05:04So, if Steph gets to that spot and he's like, you know what, guys, this is not working here anymore.
05:09I do kind of want to try it somewhere else.
05:11So, how do we make this work for both sides?
05:13See, to me, that does not feel like a plausible scenario, even though I understand in the business world it
05:20exists.
05:21And what you brought up, Steph leaving and the Warriors getting nothing for it at the end of the year.
05:27That would represent the two sides ending up somehow really upset with one another, not communicating, not talking with one
05:35another.
05:36Steph Curry turning his back on an organization that he has openly said he loves, wants to finish with, and
05:42wants to leave in a really great spot.
05:43Once he's done.
05:44So, those two things don't add up to me.
05:46I don't think the Warriors are worried about that specter unless something goes really wrong.
05:52In other words, if Steph did want to leave, he'd tell them.
05:55He would tell them.
05:57What I'm asking, though, is underneath the covers, is that what the Warriors actually want?
06:03It's easy for him to say, boy, if he came to us, we would hate it.
06:07You know, we'd hate it, but we would do it.
06:10And I'm not saying that he's disingenuous.
06:12But I'm asking, because I am curious, when you have two quotes right next to each other, boy, we, this
06:22is up to Steph.
06:23We want him to stay forever.
06:24And I believe, Mike, on that.
06:26But your very next comment is this.
06:30This, to me, sounds a completely different bell.
06:35With the knee, other injuries, and then his age, it's definitely something we have to manage.
06:40My hope would be he plays more than, I think, 43 games last year.
06:44I hope he plays more than that this year.
06:45We expect that.
06:46But you can't, you know, you take nothing for granted.
06:49So, it's on the radar.
06:50It's something we have to be mindful of.
06:52And this thing's delicate.
06:54You know, it's delicate for him, but it's delicate for the rest of the guys on our team.
06:58Injuries move a lot of the needles in this league in terms of success and who wins and who loses.
07:03And you can't run from that.
07:04It is what it is.
07:05And we've got to do our best to try and stay healthy, build depth, and hope for the best.
07:10I know I sound a little cynical right now.
07:12It's on the radar, is what he said.
07:14I know I sound a little cynical right now.
07:15But that quote makes me not nervous.
07:19That's not the right thing.
07:20I think, like, we get the reality that we're in.
07:23Steph called it a new normal.
07:24But when you listen to Mike say that, if you took the name out of it and just said,
07:30describe this player, and he said that, would you in the next breath be talking about a max two-year
07:39extension for $130 million?
07:41But you can't take the name out of the comment because the name in the comment, like, he's worth more
07:46than $70 million a year.
07:47Of course he is.
07:48But Mike Donlevy and Joe Lacob have a team to run.
07:51And what they're trying to do is build a winner.
07:54And if you describe someone that way, that does not sound to me like the centerpiece of a winning organization.
08:00And that's what a max contract is.
08:03Well, then let's play it out.
08:04Because if, so you give him the max on August 29th, and you're still worried about the knee, and he
08:09comes out and has another year like he had.
08:12And you're a lottery team again, and you're back in there.
08:15Well, your team's not going to get better, and he's a year older, and now you have this sunk cost.
08:19But what are you going to do about it?
08:21If Steph wants to retire as a warrior, then he retires as a warrior.
08:25Of course.
08:27Right.
08:27So if he don't give him the extension, then he plays this year, and it's, okay, he played 43 games.
08:33He was good when he played, but now, you know, we've determined that you're only worth about $31 million a
08:38year.
08:38Okay, let me throw two other things at you.
08:41And he leaves and goes elsewhere, and you get nothing for it.
08:43No, he's not going to do that.
08:44But he's not going to just, like, play it out and then take $30 million.
08:48I don't know what he's going to do.
08:49I don't believe that he will.
08:50Well, hang on, though.
08:52Many would, I think, fire back with, hold on, Steph.
08:57At age 39-40, which is what we're talking about, because it would be after this year.
09:01Yep.
09:01If you so badly want to win, as you've stated, then why wouldn't you take 30 instead of 65, or
09:1240, or 50, or hell, LeBron James just took a minimum.
09:16Jalen Brunson did this and got a ton of credit for winning a ring.
09:21Now, that's different because Brunson's in his prime.
09:24And he never had one.
09:25Steph's got four.
09:26Yeah, but, again, so two options is what I'm throwing out here.
09:32Is Dunleavy, with that quote, is he greasing the wheels for the idea of, maybe we're not talking about a
09:38max extension.
09:39Maybe we figure out a different number.
09:42Or, the other thing would be what we played for you earlier this week.
09:46And, Grandy, maybe you can grab this one.
09:48Remember the wind horse from earlier this week, where Wendy suggests that the Warriors go to Steph Curry and say,
09:55be a partner with us in building your next winner.
09:59And how we do that is, don't sign the extension.
10:02Just wait.
10:03Let's all wait.
10:04And then, at the end of the year, we've actually got your money that we also can, in theory, float
10:13out there to the world as far as acquiring you help.
10:16And then, if we get there and you want 65 mil, then you get 65 mil.
10:22But, if you want to do 40, because that allows us to go get you another teammate, we can do
10:27that, too.
10:29That was the suggestion.
10:31Right.
10:31And that's basically what Draymond did.
10:33Draymond opted out and said, you've got three weeks.
10:35Correct.
10:36And then, if you don't do anything, then I'm opting back in or whatever.
10:39You're going to give me that contract.
10:40So, Steph could play it the same way and say, yeah, I'll play for 20 if you can fill up
10:4645 million worth a guy.
10:47But, if you don't do anything again, Mike, well, then I'm going to want that 65.
10:51And Mike would say, no problem.
10:52Right.
10:53I mean, that was the implication.
10:54Here's Wendy on the Hoop Collective podcast through ESPN.
10:58A couple of things.
10:59First off, we talked about it earlier.
11:01Will Draymond Green get a no trade clause?
11:03My guess would be, I mean, maybe it's even done by the time this pod comes out.
11:06My guess would be no, because just because they don't want to set the stand, they're going to give it.
11:10But Draymond's going to get a one-year deal.
11:12Steph's on a one-year deal right now.
11:14Pajemski is on a one-year deal.
11:16He can get extended.
11:17Jimmy Butler's on a one-year deal.
11:18If the Warriors want, and frankly, they could make Steph a partner in this, they could say, Steph, hey, man,
11:27you can have the 130 whenever you want it.
11:29But what if we just chill on it and see what happens next summer?
11:33Because that is dumping a hundred-something million.
11:37That would be all-time record salary cap space.
11:40It would be something like around 100 million in cap space.
11:43Are there any big-time free agents available next summer?
11:45You know, I know that Jokic said he's going to be a nugget for life, and I'm not going back
11:49on it.
11:49But, you know, until he signs, he's going to be a free agent.
11:52So that's the implication.
11:54Do you go to Steph Curry and say, let's just wait?
11:57And by the way, the reason I, and I understand this to be a risk on Steph's part, like, yeah,
12:02what if the runners need dogs the whole year again?
12:05Now what's the conversation?
12:08But I'm sure the Warriors, being who they are, never get this twisted.
12:13I know we all get mad at the standings.
12:15The Golden State Warriors have been a very classy place.
12:21They treat people well.
12:22They do things the right way.
12:24There's no way in hell they're going to play games with Steph Curry.
12:28But look what they just did with Draymond Green.
12:30Like, you opt out.
12:31We're going to try like heck.
12:33I'm making cold calls, Draymond.
12:35I'm going to cold call the snot out of this league.
12:37And darn it, we fell short, and we had a deal.
12:40Handshake.
12:41Here's your option back.
12:42You get to opt right back in.
12:44It'd be the same thing with Steph Curry.
12:46You're right.
12:46Yeah.
12:47So they say to Steph, look, you want the 130?
12:49You get the 130.
12:51Period.
12:52We'll put it in ink.
12:53But we don't have to do it yet.
12:55We can wait until then because maybe we can build you a winner if you take 50.
13:00And would you want to do that?
13:02And if you don't want to do that and you want the 130 right now, we do the 130 right
13:06now.
13:07But can we sell you on the idea of flexibility around you?
13:13Because what we're trying to do is still win with you on the roster.
13:17Could we sell you on that idea?
13:18But also in the back of their mind, they're like, plus, plus we don't trust your body.
13:24We were not going to say that.
13:26And we're not going to play with your money because of it.
13:30But information at the end of this year might be very different than it is right now.
13:35It might, but if I'm Steph and I enter into this idea, and I don't think that it's wild that,
13:40you know, if Steph wants the extension now and they say, you know what, let's just wait.
13:44But I'll tell you what, we're going to give you, no matter what happens this year, at the end of
13:48the year, we're going to give you two and a hundred.
13:50Even if runner's knee comes back, or if you slip on Lake Montezunas again and hurt your MCL, or the
13:55ankles come back, or any possible thing that could happen, we're still going to do right by you and give
14:01you two and a hundred.
14:02Like, if they came to him with that, I think that he'd be more open to that sort of a
14:07situation.
14:08I actually think they'd go even further than that.
14:11We will do two and 130 the second you point at us.
14:15And we promise it to you right now, but what the hope I think of the Warriors is, if you
14:21get to the end of the year, depending on who's available and what they could go after, if that's not
14:27in ink yet, maybe Steph would want to take less because of who you could partner with him.
14:35Especially if Chris Stapps makes it through healthy and Jimmy comes back.
14:39Jimmy's talking about the Christmas game, by the way.
14:41I don't know if you saw that, but he's looking at the December 25th game as his return date, his
14:46targeted, which is aggressive.
14:47That's aggressive.
14:48I'm not holding it against him, but.
14:49If George Kittle can play week one, then Jimmy Butler can play on Christmas.
14:53So if you get Moses and Jimmy and Chris Stapps and you get to the end of the year and
14:56you actually look like the team that you thought you were last November, then Steph might be incentivized to take
15:0240.
15:02You might already be doing this with Myla.
15:04If not, I know that you will be soon.
15:06You're an experienced parent, but other parents have coached me through this.
15:11Lovely Christy has done it many times.
15:13You know how, like, you make it, you make it.
15:17Their idea.
15:18Like it was their idea.
15:19Yes.
15:20You make the kid feel like it was their idea.
15:23Like, do you want to brush your teeth or do you want to go run five miles?
15:28Well, I want to brush my teeth.
15:29Well, that's a great idea.
15:31Let's go brush your teeth.
15:33So is that potentially what the Warriors could do here?
15:37Steph, you want your two and 130.
15:39You can have it on August 29th.
15:41You can have it on January 4th.
15:44You can have it on February 5th.
15:45You can have it on March 6th.
15:48You can have your two and 130.
15:51We could also just wait.
15:53And if you want it, then you get it.
15:56But who knows what could develop between now and then that we could pair with you.
16:01How's that sound?
16:02And then genuinely go with whatever his answer is.
16:06Right.
16:06And I would imagine that his answer will be, you know, that he believes in them.
16:11The relationship he's had with, you know, Dunleavy and Lake.
16:14For sure.
16:15The relationship's got to be rock solid.
16:16And so, and they just saw, he saw what they did with Draymond Green, which is basically the same kind
16:22of thing.
16:23Where, yeah, we'll give you what you have coming to you.
16:26But if you wouldn't mind, like, declining it, that way we can kind of shop around.
16:31We can shop around your money and see if we can do something.
16:33I don't want to make it sound like I'm suggesting the Warriors do any funny business with Steph.
16:37I'm with you.
16:38Yeah, the Warriors are not going to do that.
16:40They're going to play this completely above board.
16:42What funny business have they ever pulled in this, like, era?
16:46Never.
16:47Right.
16:47I mean, listen, we know the stories where people think that they were either wrong or underhanded or whatever.
16:55Right?
16:55They didn't take Jordan Poole's side enough.
16:58They messed with Kaminga's minutes.
17:00But, like, from a contractual standpoint, I mean, I think history now is shining on what they did give Jonathan.
17:09They gave Jonathan a two-year, $45 million contract.
17:15Second year was an option.
17:17Right.
17:17But he's not going to get anywhere near that now.
17:20Norville Jordan Poole and his next stop.
17:22Right.
17:22And you could say that they gave him that money in order to trade him, and I think that that's
17:27a big reason why.
17:28But that's NBA business.
17:30The bottom line is he got a nine-figure guaranteed contract, so I don't think they did him dirty.
17:35No, I'm suggesting that you do this completely above board, but there might be multiple good reasons for it.
17:42And you only sort of put one of them out in the public.
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