Mike Dunleavy Jr. making quick moves as new Warriors GM

Via the SF Gate:

He bought himself a little bit of breathing room. The Poole contract may have been one of the very worst in the NBA, and by getting the team out from under it, Dunleavy may have enabled the Warriors to avoid future steep penalties that come with the “second apron” cap line in the new collective bargaining agreement, which is two steps beyond the already punishing luxury tax threshold. (Poole’s enormous four-year extension kicks in this season, while Paul’s contract is not guaranteed past this year.)

So even if these are the twilight years for this Warriors era, Dunleavy has already bought himself significant goodwill with owner Joe Lacob. The Athletic reported Wednesday that the goal was to be able to be under the second apron within a year, and this trade appears to set up the Warriors to get there on schedule. ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks came to the same conclusion, leading his instant trade analysis with, “Blame the second apron,” and explaining that this trade gets the Warriors under the second apron for much of the next half-decade.

Chris Paul being traded to the Warriors

Via the Bay Area News Group:

Chris Paul — yes, that Chris Paul — is now a Golden State Warrior. He was traded Thursday by Washington for Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, and draft picks.

It’s going to take a while for us to collectively wrap our heads around this one.

But at the core of it all is the well-known fact that everyone can overlook things when they’re desperate.

The Warriors were desperate to rid themselves of Poole. The four-year, $123 million contract extension he signed before the start of last season was proven to be a mistake for the team. Not only did Poole fail to perform like a nine-figure player and future face of the franchise this past season — particularly in the playoffs — but the emotional damage that rippled through the team following Draymond Green’s punch of Poole in the preseason never healed.

NBA trade discussions involving Paul George

Via the LA Times:

The Clippers and Knicks have had conversations about a potential trade for wing Paul George, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, talks that were initiated by New York.

Though George was an All-Star forward as recently as February, multiple league insiders this week expressed doubts about what return value the team could get for him, if the Clippers are truly motivated to deal him, and believed a top draft pick in exchange for George was not within range. Those doubts, the sources said, centered on his history of injuries and contract status.

On the Pelicans and the 2023 NBA Draft

Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

This year, there is more uncertainty about whom the Pelicans will take in the first round. They have the 14th selection in Thursday’s draft. Earlier this week, the Pelicans came up with a list of players their front office and scouts liked. The names were in double digits. In the past few days, the Pelicans have tried to whittle that list down. They are exploring various scenarios where they trade up or down as well.

If the Pelicans stay at 14, a shooter such as Kansas’ Gradey Dick or Connecticut’s Jordan Hawkins would make sense. Choosing Dick, a 6-7 wing who nailed 40.3% of his 3s on nearly six attempts per game last season, is a no-brainer if he lasts until 14. Hawkins is more of a question mark. He is an electric shooter who can run around screens all game, but he does not have great size for a shooting guard and there are questions about how he can affect games outside of his ability to make 3s.

The Pelicans have identified outside shooting and rim protection as their two biggest needs this offseason.

On the Rockets and the 2023 NBA Draft

Via the Houston Chronicle:

Our long near-month wait between the lottery and the 2023 NBA draft has nearly come to an end, and as draft night approaches, the Houston Rockets will look to take their first steps in what could be a roster overhaul before the start of the 2023-24 season.

We have a general feel for what will happen for Houston on draft night. Amen Thompson is the (very) likely choice at No. 4, and the No. 20 pick will likely be used to add another youngster or a win-now veteran piece via trade. But as we learned last year, the best laid plans for any team can go awry on draft night. As the Rockets desperately eye a move into Phase 2 of their rebuild on Thursday night, a litany of contingency plans are likely in place. Outside of the Spurs snagging Victor Wembanyama at No. 1, there are no guarantees for the rest of the draft league-wide.

Should the Knicks pursue Paul George?

Via the NY Post:

In the Knicks’ quest to build upon last year’s strong season, they are targeting stars to complement Jalen Brunson, and one such player they are interested in is Paul George.

The Knicks have had contact with the Clippers about the 33-year-old wing, according to multiple reports, although it is uncertain if Los Angeles is willing to move George.

The Clippers nearly acquired Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in a three-way deal with the Celtics and Wizards before the talks fell apart on Wednesday, so they may be interested in adding and not subtracting from their roster.

On the Jazz and the 2023 NBA Draft

Via the Salt Lake Tribune:

The NBA draft is here. And the Utah Jazz will be big players in how it unfolds.

A year after having zero picks in the draft, the Jazz have three in the first round this time, at Nos. 9, 16, and 28. At least for now.

Naturally, this became the year that the front office decided not to disclose the players coming in for workouts and interviews. While some prospects inevitably spilled the beans themselves with Instagram posts, the braintrust was nevertheless looking to gain a competitive advantage by not giving too much away.

On Wednesday morning, Bart Taylor, the Jazz’s Vice President of Player Personnel, addressed a few media members to provide at least a little context about how the team’s process has unfolded since the season ended.

Taylor: “We have tons of conversations constantly of, ‘Where do you think your guy is?’ ‘Where do you think they’re gonna go?’ with the agents, with other teams. We’re trying to figure that out, even as of [Wednesday], who might be there. And then that way we can have those conversations [Wednesday, Thursday] leading into the draft of, ‘OK, if these two guys are there, who are we taking?’ We’re trying to get all that out so that we’re not on the clock, like, ‘Well, who are we taking?’ and then we have Ryan [Smith] sitting looking at us like, ‘Do you guys know what you’re doing?’ We try to figure all that out before so that we look at least semi-educated.”

On the Warriors and the NBA Draft

Via the Bay Area News Group:

In November 2020, the Warriors drafted James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall draft pick, their highest pick since they took Mike Dunleavy Jr. third overall out of Duke in 2002.

Three years later, though, Wiseman is no longer with the team, and Dunleavy, despite once being made scapegoat for Warriors fans’ frustrations after years of futility, is the team’s new general manager.

The Warriors have gambled in the last three drafts, taking some high-upside teenage players with the hopes to groom them to one day take the baton from the dynastic trio as it ages out.

But with Stephen Curry still a top-five NBA star at the age of 35, the Warriors should be looking to maximize the here and now. And the process of retooling their roster to be a championship contender once again starts with the No. 19 pick in Thursday’s draft.

On the Celtics and Kristaps Porzingis

Via Boston.com:

The Celtics are reportedly adding another top talent to their frontcourt next to Jayson Tatum.

According to ESPN and the Boston Globe, the Celtics are finalizing a deal and acquiring forward Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team swap also featuring the Memphis Grizzlies.

As part of the reported deal, longtime Celtics guard Marcus Smart will be traded to Memphis, with the Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones and Boston’s Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala heading to Washington. Boston also nets two first-round picks with the move.

Porzingis is already an intriguing addition given his size (7-feet-3-inches) and unique skillset, but there are also some question marks surrounding Boston’s new trade pickup.