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ajd_tbh
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(This is part one of a planned two-part series of the Warriors completely unprompted naval-gazing that is in no way an attempt to justify being the worst team in the league for two straight seasons.)
In the abbreviated history of this league, the Warriors are by far the worst-run franchise. A lone playoff appearance over the course of the decade resulted in a feckless effort that saw them bounced in the first round. After finishing the last two years with the worst record in the league and picking at the top of the lottery in 2018, the Warriors have racked up a league-worst .312 winning percentage.
Put simply, this team is bad. It has always been bad. Turning it around is like turning around an ocean liner by using a rudder. But if you ask the current management, a rudder isn’t such a bad tool for such a task. “There are a lot of teams that want to rebuild in a year, want to try to change their fortunes immediately. That’s just not where I see the most opportunity,” general manager ajd_tbh said.
Over the course of the last two years under ajd_tbh’s guidance, the Warriors have spent more time making small trades than blowing things up. “Things were kind of already blown up when I got here,” he explained. Despite immediately being met with trade offers for Luka Doncic the second he stepped into the office, including one deal that would have netted as many as five future draft picks, the Warriors have stood pat, retaining the young talent on their roster and adding more when the opportunity presented itself.
Where the Warriors have focused most of their attention in potentially changing their fortune is asset management. The GM will be the first to admit that he’s not a big fan of the trading process. “Negotiations are a pain, everyone values players differently, it’s really rare for those valuations to match up perfectly. Frankly, it’s just too much work sometimes,” he said. But Golden State has managed to stay active in the trade market primarily by using cap space to take on contracts while pocketing cash, trade capital, and young talent that just didn’t quite fit elsewhere.
The team’s first move under ajd_tbh’s reign — which, as is well known by everyone, was not at all the cause of any controversy, nor was it in any way the cause of a rift between the Warriors front office and the thin-skinned management of another team based in California —was to acquire a first-round pick and cash for bad contracts. The majority of the team’s maneuvers have fallen into this category, and it’s worth taking a closer look at a few transaction trees to figure out what exactly the Warriors have been up to.
The Andrew Bynum Tree
Immediately after the conclusion of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Warriors absorbed the contract of center Andrew Bynum from the New York Knicks. To get off the remaining two years of the aging big man’s deal, the Knicks sent $30 in team cash, a 2022 second-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2022. A week later, the Warriors flipped Bynum — whom they got assets simply for taking for nothing — to the Pistons in exchange for Tiago Splitter, Rashaun Holmes, and $8. Splitter remained on the Warriors roster for the remainder of the year while Holmes was cut immediately.
The deal allowed Golden State to ditch the last year of Bynum’s contract, which would have kept him on the team’s books until 2021 by taking on two expiring deals instead while still netting additional cash in the trade. At the end of the day, that’s $38 total, a future 2nd round pick and a pick swap in exchange for taking on about $20 million of salary for one year while Detroit will be paying Bynum $24 million next year.
At the end of the series of transactions, here is what the Warriors netted in exchange for carrying about $20 million in salary for just one season:
Assets In:
-New York Knicks 2022 first-round pick (via pick swap)
-New York Knicks 2022 second-round pick
-$38
-Tiago Splitter
-Rashaun Holmes
Assets Out:
None
The Hawks Tree
On two occasions during the season, Golden State used its open cap space to help the Atlanta Hawks navigate under the luxury tax. In one deal, the Warrior sent out second-round selection Carsen Edwards in exchange for the contracts of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nick Calathes, along with $8. Less than a week later, they shipped Anfernee Simons to Atlanta for Trevor Ariza and $6. The $6 and Nick Calathes were used in a trade with the Grizzlies to acquire Lonnie Walker, a young talent who was on the outs because of the team’s goal to contend. Kidd-Gilchrist later became part of a trade with the Boston Celtics (more on that later), while Ariza was able to play out the remainder of his expiring contract in Golden State.
Once again, starting with just cap space, the Warriors finished with the following return for what amounted to $10 million in expiring contracts:
Assets In:
-$8
-Lonnie Walker
-Trevor Ariza
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Assets Out:
-$6
-Anfernee Simons
-Carsen Edwards
The Celtics Tree
Golden State’s habit of making deals with Boston can be best described as a relationship of mutual failing. The Warriors acquired Jalen Lecque, Sean Williams, JR Smith and $7 from Boston in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick. A week later, Golden State sent young big man Jonathan Isaac and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (acquired from Atlanta) to the Celtics for Larry Sanders, Hamidou Diallo, a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick. The acquisition of Sanders' expiring deal was made possible because Golden State kept cap space open and was able to absorb his $20 million, one year deal. Isaac, meanwhile, was part of a package sent to Cleveland that netted Brandon Clarke. Finally, for no discernible reason whatsoever, the teams swapped Sean Williams, who went back to Boston, and Jalen McDaniels.
Here's what it would look like as one big trade rather than a series of seemingly entirely random transactions:
Assets In:
-Boston Celtics 2022 first-round pick
-Boston Celtics 2021 second-round pick
-Larry Sanders
-JR Smith
-Jalen Lecque
-Hamidou Diallo
-Jalen McDaniels
-$7
Assets Out:
-Golden State Warriors 2021 second-round pick
-Jonathan Isaac
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
The End Results
By the end of the 2019-2020 season, the Warriors ended up absorbing more than $50 million worth of bad salaries in order to free up other teams to spend their space or to get under the luxury tax and avoid penalties. In exchange for that cap space — along with a few potential assets that the team decided to move on from — Golden State netted several lottery tickets in the form of young players, future draft assets, and cash. Here is the final tally of assets in and assets out based on the Warriors transactions over the course of the season:
Assets In:
-Boston Celtics 2022 first-round pick
-Boston Celtics 2021 second-round pick
-New York Knicks 2022 first-round pick (via pick swap)
-New York Knicks 2022 second-round pick
-$53
-Jalen Lecque
-Hamidou Diallo
-Lonnie Walker
-Larry Sanders (expiring)
-JR Smith (cut)
-Jalen McDaniels (expiring)
-Trevor Ariza (expiring)
-Tiago Splitter (expiring)
-Rashaun Holmes (cut)
Assets Out:
-Golden State Warriors 2021 second-round pick
-Jonathan Isaac
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
-Anfernee Simons
-Carsen Edwards
-$6
Time will tell if this was actually a prudent use of cap space and asset management by Golden State. At face value, the team certainly bought itself some lottery tickets in the form of the yet-to-develop Lecque, Diallo and Walker. (More on their development, along with the team's other young pieces, in the second part of this two-part series that no one asked for.) Sending out Simons, Edwards and Isaac could turn out to be better pieces than anything acquired in their stead. All three already have NBA-level skills, though two — Isaac and Simons — have already been moved to new destinations. Even if the Warriors end up regretting sending out those players before they had time to blossom, they'll have future draft assets and enough cash to help their existing talent flourish.
Crucially, the team cost itself exactly zero cap flexibility in 2020 offseason. The only contracts that extend past the end of the 2019-2020 season belong to project players Walker and Lecque. The rest come off the books, leaving the team with more than enough cash to potentially acquire two max-level contracts. How exactly they make use of that space in the last remaining years of Luka Doncic's rookie contract will be the true judge of just how successful these two years of tinkering have been.
In the abbreviated history of this league, the Warriors are by far the worst-run franchise. A lone playoff appearance over the course of the decade resulted in a feckless effort that saw them bounced in the first round. After finishing the last two years with the worst record in the league and picking at the top of the lottery in 2018, the Warriors have racked up a league-worst .312 winning percentage.
Put simply, this team is bad. It has always been bad. Turning it around is like turning around an ocean liner by using a rudder. But if you ask the current management, a rudder isn’t such a bad tool for such a task. “There are a lot of teams that want to rebuild in a year, want to try to change their fortunes immediately. That’s just not where I see the most opportunity,” general manager ajd_tbh said.
Over the course of the last two years under ajd_tbh’s guidance, the Warriors have spent more time making small trades than blowing things up. “Things were kind of already blown up when I got here,” he explained. Despite immediately being met with trade offers for Luka Doncic the second he stepped into the office, including one deal that would have netted as many as five future draft picks, the Warriors have stood pat, retaining the young talent on their roster and adding more when the opportunity presented itself.
Where the Warriors have focused most of their attention in potentially changing their fortune is asset management. The GM will be the first to admit that he’s not a big fan of the trading process. “Negotiations are a pain, everyone values players differently, it’s really rare for those valuations to match up perfectly. Frankly, it’s just too much work sometimes,” he said. But Golden State has managed to stay active in the trade market primarily by using cap space to take on contracts while pocketing cash, trade capital, and young talent that just didn’t quite fit elsewhere.
The team’s first move under ajd_tbh’s reign — which, as is well known by everyone, was not at all the cause of any controversy, nor was it in any way the cause of a rift between the Warriors front office and the thin-skinned management of another team based in California —was to acquire a first-round pick and cash for bad contracts. The majority of the team’s maneuvers have fallen into this category, and it’s worth taking a closer look at a few transaction trees to figure out what exactly the Warriors have been up to.
The Andrew Bynum Tree
Immediately after the conclusion of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Warriors absorbed the contract of center Andrew Bynum from the New York Knicks. To get off the remaining two years of the aging big man’s deal, the Knicks sent $30 in team cash, a 2022 second-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2022. A week later, the Warriors flipped Bynum — whom they got assets simply for taking for nothing — to the Pistons in exchange for Tiago Splitter, Rashaun Holmes, and $8. Splitter remained on the Warriors roster for the remainder of the year while Holmes was cut immediately.
The deal allowed Golden State to ditch the last year of Bynum’s contract, which would have kept him on the team’s books until 2021 by taking on two expiring deals instead while still netting additional cash in the trade. At the end of the day, that’s $38 total, a future 2nd round pick and a pick swap in exchange for taking on about $20 million of salary for one year while Detroit will be paying Bynum $24 million next year.
At the end of the series of transactions, here is what the Warriors netted in exchange for carrying about $20 million in salary for just one season:
Assets In:
-New York Knicks 2022 first-round pick (via pick swap)
-New York Knicks 2022 second-round pick
-$38
-Tiago Splitter
-Rashaun Holmes
Assets Out:
None
The Hawks Tree
On two occasions during the season, Golden State used its open cap space to help the Atlanta Hawks navigate under the luxury tax. In one deal, the Warrior sent out second-round selection Carsen Edwards in exchange for the contracts of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nick Calathes, along with $8. Less than a week later, they shipped Anfernee Simons to Atlanta for Trevor Ariza and $6. The $6 and Nick Calathes were used in a trade with the Grizzlies to acquire Lonnie Walker, a young talent who was on the outs because of the team’s goal to contend. Kidd-Gilchrist later became part of a trade with the Boston Celtics (more on that later), while Ariza was able to play out the remainder of his expiring contract in Golden State.
Once again, starting with just cap space, the Warriors finished with the following return for what amounted to $10 million in expiring contracts:
Assets In:
-$8
-Lonnie Walker
-Trevor Ariza
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Assets Out:
-$6
-Anfernee Simons
-Carsen Edwards
The Celtics Tree
Golden State’s habit of making deals with Boston can be best described as a relationship of mutual failing. The Warriors acquired Jalen Lecque, Sean Williams, JR Smith and $7 from Boston in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick. A week later, Golden State sent young big man Jonathan Isaac and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (acquired from Atlanta) to the Celtics for Larry Sanders, Hamidou Diallo, a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick. The acquisition of Sanders' expiring deal was made possible because Golden State kept cap space open and was able to absorb his $20 million, one year deal. Isaac, meanwhile, was part of a package sent to Cleveland that netted Brandon Clarke. Finally, for no discernible reason whatsoever, the teams swapped Sean Williams, who went back to Boston, and Jalen McDaniels.
Here's what it would look like as one big trade rather than a series of seemingly entirely random transactions:
Assets In:
-Boston Celtics 2022 first-round pick
-Boston Celtics 2021 second-round pick
-Larry Sanders
-JR Smith
-Jalen Lecque
-Hamidou Diallo
-Jalen McDaniels
-$7
Assets Out:
-Golden State Warriors 2021 second-round pick
-Jonathan Isaac
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
The End Results
By the end of the 2019-2020 season, the Warriors ended up absorbing more than $50 million worth of bad salaries in order to free up other teams to spend their space or to get under the luxury tax and avoid penalties. In exchange for that cap space — along with a few potential assets that the team decided to move on from — Golden State netted several lottery tickets in the form of young players, future draft assets, and cash. Here is the final tally of assets in and assets out based on the Warriors transactions over the course of the season:
Assets In:
-Boston Celtics 2022 first-round pick
-Boston Celtics 2021 second-round pick
-New York Knicks 2022 first-round pick (via pick swap)
-New York Knicks 2022 second-round pick
-$53
-Jalen Lecque
-Hamidou Diallo
-Lonnie Walker
-Larry Sanders (expiring)
-JR Smith (cut)
-Jalen McDaniels (expiring)
-Trevor Ariza (expiring)
-Tiago Splitter (expiring)
-Rashaun Holmes (cut)
Assets Out:
-Golden State Warriors 2021 second-round pick
-Jonathan Isaac
-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
-Anfernee Simons
-Carsen Edwards
-$6
Time will tell if this was actually a prudent use of cap space and asset management by Golden State. At face value, the team certainly bought itself some lottery tickets in the form of the yet-to-develop Lecque, Diallo and Walker. (More on their development, along with the team's other young pieces, in the second part of this two-part series that no one asked for.) Sending out Simons, Edwards and Isaac could turn out to be better pieces than anything acquired in their stead. All three already have NBA-level skills, though two — Isaac and Simons — have already been moved to new destinations. Even if the Warriors end up regretting sending out those players before they had time to blossom, they'll have future draft assets and enough cash to help their existing talent flourish.
Crucially, the team cost itself exactly zero cap flexibility in 2020 offseason. The only contracts that extend past the end of the 2019-2020 season belong to project players Walker and Lecque. The rest come off the books, leaving the team with more than enough cash to potentially acquire two max-level contracts. How exactly they make use of that space in the last remaining years of Luka Doncic's rookie contract will be the true judge of just how successful these two years of tinkering have been.
