Kerr said he wants Thompson, who is headed to unrestricted free agency after extension negotiations broke down last summer, to return next season. Green noted that Warriors ownership signed Thompson to a lucrative contract shortly after he suffered a torn ACL in the 2019 Finals, and he said he expected his teammate to be taken again financially responsible. Curry, whose opinion matters most, made it clear he wasn’t ready for the trio to go their separate ways after 12 years together.
“I never see myself without those two guys,” Curry said of Green and Thompson. “I understand that this league is changing and there are so many things that come into play. We’re not going to play forever. We’ve been through so much together. At the end of the day, I know they want to win and I want to win. That’s all that worries me.
Kerr also insisted that Golden State, which won the title in 2022 but has now missed the playoffs in three of the last five seasons, can still contend for championships because Curry, Green and Thompson are “all still very good players.” That’s when the Warriors began to seem too lost in memories of their past glory, too detached from a volatile present that ended with an old-fashioned whooping delivered by their little brothers.
Indeed, the Kings exposed so many flaws in 48 minutes that they forced the Warriors to reckon with their arrival at a crossroads of loyalty or hope: If the Warriors want to keep the group together, they can say goodbye to a fifth championship of this era.
Curry, who scored 50 points in Game 7 to knock the Kings out of last year’s playoffs, struggled to break free from Keon Ellis and the swarming Sacramento defense. Green, the best defender of his generation, couldn’t hold down the middle against the Kings, who got everything they wanted during a 37-point attack in the third quarter. And Thompson, who has easily splashed jumpers for more than a decade, missed all 10 of his shot attempts to finish scoreless. The five-time All-Star buried his chin in his chest as he checked trash time, a demoralizing end to a difficult season that saw him benched on several occasions.
The Warriors’ pile of deficiencies was enormous: too many turnovers, too many undersized rotation players, too many unclaimed defensive rebounds and too many wide-open three-pointers for the Kings. De’Aaron Fox went for easy mid-range jumpers, Keegan Murray feasted on Golden State’s weak perimeter defense and Domantas Sabonis got revenge on Green for stomping on his chest in the playoffs from last year.
Sacramento fans, so accustomed to being steamrolled by their Northern California rivals, shook their bells with glee as the scoring margin continued to grow in the fourth quarter. Green had shouted profanities and bowled over the Golden 1 Center crowd during heated moments last year; this time, he blew kisses to two hecklers and offered congratulatory hugs to Kings players and coaches.
Green was soundly beaten, but he nonetheless argued that Golden State could have avoided the play-in tournament if it had taken better care of big leads during the regular season. What’s not said: The Warriors would also have been in a better position if Green had not been suspended several times this season for violent acts against opponents. Of course, there was another significant obstacle – the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic at a team dinner in January – that no one had control over.
But this Warriors season will be remembered for their distance from competition, not their perceived near misses. Golden State experienced “Woulda, coulda, shoulda” campaigns when it blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Finals and lost Kevin Durant and Thompson to serious injuries in the 2019 Finals. April was an embarrassing month, not a gloomy June.
“It’s raw right now,” Curry said. “I’m just sitting here, figuring out if I want to watch the playoffs or not. On April 16, we are in uncharted territory.
Kerr has been juggling his lineups all season, looking for possible solutions in every nook and cranny. Despite this, the Warriors have only beaten five teams in the Western Conference and likely won’t have their first-round pick to show for it, as they must pass him on to the Portland Trail Blazers unless he makes the top four selections. Meanwhile, Golden State had the NBA’s highest payroll and largest luxury tax bill — an unsustainably expensive proposition for virtually every other organization in the league, especially given its lack of results.
It is certain that reductions must take place. Beyond pure sentimentality, what sense is there in recommitting to a broken and outrageously expensive list?
Thompson, 34, is coming off a five-year contract worth $189.9 million, and his earning power will be compromised by his advanced age and injury history. Andrew Wiggins has had another confusing season and is owed nearly $85 million over the next three seasons, making him an attractive trade piece if Golden State can find a buyer. And veteran guard Chris Paul holds a non-guaranteed contract worth $30 million next season, meaning he could be waived before free agency if the Warriors decide to cut spending.
Time and time again, as the Warriors processed their disappointing finale, their hearts conflicted with their minds. Loyalty or hope. It can’t be both.
“That’s life,” Kerr said. “This is how it works. You can’t stay on top forever.
