The Golden State Warriors found themselves in a difficult stretch due to the significant number of injuries on the roster, particularly to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Despite the situation, they had already started to consider potential moves, with reported interest in LeBron James and another attempt to pursue Kawhi Leonard during the NBA season.
According to league insider Tim Kawakami, a deal had been in place to send Leonard to the Warriors before it collapsed at the last moment. “Multiple league sources indicated this week that the Warriors were reasonably close to trading for Kawhi Leonard last February, apparently with much of the deal terms generally agreed to, before the Clippers ultimately decided to pull out of the talks,” Kawakami reported.
“Leonard’s name continued to be connected to possible Warriors moves, either in ongoing trade discussions or, as many around the league speculated, if his remaining contract with the Clippers was voided after the investigation into salary cap circumvention.”
Is Kawhi worth it?
There was once again a debate surrounding the Warriors. There was no doubt that Leonard was an elite player, one of the best in the NBA when healthy. However, he was approaching 35-years-old, and the Warriors also needed to consider building toward a younger core while maximizing their remaining window with Curry.
Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors.
At 34 years old, he fit their timeline in the short term, and his two-way game complemented Curry, who was known as an offensive first perimeter shooter. While his availability had been inconsistent, his production remained strong, averaging 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per NBA game on 50.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.0 percent from three.
The final push with Curry
The Warriors remained committed to this approach because Curry continued to perform at a high level despite his injury, and his impact remained undeniable. In 39 games that season, the two-time MVP averaged 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 46.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.1 percent from three.
While he had missed the previous 25 games, he was expected to return healthy the following season, increasing pressure on the front office to build a competitive roster. With Butler still recovering from an ACL injury, the Warriors could not afford to wait, and their limited window to contend made finding a reliable co-star essential.
