Report: Warriors watched PG13, Markkanen pairing in offseason blockbuster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It was no secret that the Warriors wanted to make a big move (or two) this season.
Yes, Golden State tried to acquire Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers before the veteran forward ultimately opted out and signed a massive contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. And yes, the Warriors also tried to acquire sharp-shooting 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen before signing him to a lucrative contract extension, eliminating any chance of a trade before or during the 2024-25 NBA season.
However, it appears there was more to the Warriors’ offseason plan than met the eye.
Golden State not only pursued George and Markkanen, but also wanted to acquire both — yes, both — players In what was initially the organization’s “Plan A” this offseason, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported in his editorial on Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday.
“When Dunleavy drew up the blueprint for [Steph] Curry and [Draymond] Green, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was not a Plan B. He was a subdivision of Plan A,” Slater wrote. ‘The Warriors wanted both wings – believing George’s opt-out threat would allow them to protect the assets needed to seduce Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and Markkanen’s reasonable $18 million salary could leave the financials work.
Not just bringing in George or Markkanen, but both stars would have drastically changed the Warriors’ roster and organization.
“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green told Slater. “If you get both of those guys, you’ll make a huge splash. But the Clippers weren’t exactly willing to play ball. Then Danny Ainge was Danny Ainge.”
Slater speculates that if the Warriors had landed George from the Clippers, they might have been willing to “unload everything” to meet Ainge’s reported steep Markkanen trade demands. Without George, however, it seemed like Golden State was uncomfortable with Utah’s asking price.
“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr told Slater. “He just said to me, ‘There’s no point in selling your entire future to a team that you think can be pretty good but isn’t great, right?’ Especially at this stage in the age of our stars.”
While neither move ultimately worked out, a starting five with a combination of at least Curry, George, Markkanen and Green would certainly have made for a lethal lineup and likely put Golden State back in championship contention.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, their Plan A – or Plan B – never came to fruition.
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