Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Wednesday, September 4th.
Steph Curry has his eyes set on a future in NBA ownership. In a recent interview with CNBC TV, the Golden State Warriors point guard expressed his interest in joining the ranks of former players like Michael Jordan who have transitioned their Hall of Fame playing careers into team ownership roles.
“The only thing down the road is eventually being interested in team ownership in the NBA,” Curry said in an interview with CNBC TV. “I know after seeing (Michael) Jordan do it—you have guys in the league now that are taking the necessary steps to be legitimate players when it comes to the league possibly expanding in a couple years. So, for me, that’s definitely on the table. But obviously, I know I have a lot more left to accomplish on the court before you move into any other role within the league.
“But I definitely want to be a part of the ownership landscape. I think I can do a pretty good job of helping sustain how great the NBA is right now with the things that I’ve learned over my career and what it takes to run a championship organization.”
Curry’s leadership and championship experience with the Warriors have given him first-hand knowledge of what it takes to run a successful organization. As one of the most influential players in the league, his potential move into ownership could significantly impact the NBA’s future. However, for now, the four-time champion is determined to achieve more on the court before truly considering the transition into ownership.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, September 4th:
After becoming the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point scorer in 2021, Curry has the chance to become the first player to hit 4,000 3-pointers.
Curry needs 253 3-pointers to hit the mark. He made 357 shots from beyond the arc last season (4.8 per game), and if he continues that pace, he’ll reach 4,000 by the Warriors’ 52nd game on Feb. 12 against the Mavericks.
In the eight years since Durant departed, the Oubre deal is the only individual move made under the theory that it alone would be enough to keep the Warriors among the contenders. Every move since, including the addition of Chris Paul last summer, was made to supplement the roster rather than expand its core.
Much of that approach is related to the Oubre experience. No longer are the Warriors willing to jeopardize their bottom line, sacrifice a bundle of draft picks or disrupt their roster for anyone who doesn’t rate a consensus.
Brandon Ingram, to cite an example, is among those who, according to sources, does not meet that level. There’s enough pro/con that any chance of him coming to Golden State is minuscule.
The Warriors don’t have room to add a 15th player to the roster. This also is the time of year where players come in for training camp and compete for a spot. Remember Rudy Gay last year? A few years back Gary Payton II beat out Avery Bradley for a spot, which turned out to be a steal and a career-changing deal for Payton.
Gui Santos and Lindy Waters III are on non-guaranteed contracts. Could an outside player come in and beat either of them out? There will be competition, one way or another.
The Warriors will be working out veteran Troy Brown Jr. this week as part of a few vet workouts, a source tells ESPN.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) September 4, 2024
Brown spent one season with the Lakers in 2022/23 and has time with the Timberwolves last year. Golden State has two partial non-guarantee contracts available.
The new collective bargaining agreement has sucked the fun out of free agency. Is that my knee-jerk reaction after just one summer under this new CBA? Possibly! But if I end up being right, then it’s a justified dramatic reaction. Superstars aren’t really incentivized to let things play out in free agency anymore. We’re seeing more and more stars sign extensions before executing an exit strategy down the road if they want to move on. While the NBA can pretend things are set up to keep players in their incumbent markets, I don’t think that’s happening. The shift has been about hopefully getting traded to where you want to be, rather than having teams pursue you via unrestricted free agency.
The transaction is what makes the NBA a 12-month sports league now. But the new CBA’s penalties include the dreaded second apron. This new wrinkle will likely cause future salary shedding as teams seek to escape the tax/penalties instead of clearing space for a major signing.
The pitch from Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan comes as the team and Philadelphia negotiate over a future $1.3 billion arena the team had announced for the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. The team has said it doesn’t plan to stay at the Wells Fargo Arena in the city’s stadium district past 2031 when its lease is up.
The Sixers, which already have a training complex and headquarters facility in Camden, called New Jersey’s offer “thoughtful and compelling,” though the team is still talking to Philadelphia leaders about a new arena in the city.
“The reality is we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season,” team spokesperson Molly Mita McEndy wrote in an email. “As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one.”
Trae Young would be on a new team by now if he had a better trade market, per @espn_macmahon
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 2, 2024
“The simple fact of the matter is if there was a real market for Trae Young he’d be somewhere else right now. It’s not like they got some kind of wild blockbuster return for Dejounte… pic.twitter.com/6EfiZAbPZy
Bertāns played a total of 43 games last season — 15 for the Oklahoma City Thunder and 28 for the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 6.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 15.7 minutes per game and shooting splits of 39.3% from the field, 47.1% on twos (0.8 attempts), 38.0% on threes (4.7 attempts), 90.9% on free throws (0.8 attempts), and a 58.3% True Shooting mark.
Bertāns is a career 39.6% shooter from three-point range on nearly five attempts. He would be worth a look as a spot-up and movement shooter who would help open up the floor for the Warriors’ bench mob, despite the shortcomings on the defensive end of the floor.
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