Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Thursday, December 19th.
The Golden State Warriors kicked off the NBA trade season with their move to acquire point guard Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets. The 31-year-old vet is expected to be a great fit for the Warriors and says he is open to finishing his career with the team if everything work out.
“I just want to be in one spot where I’m really appreciated,” Schroder said. “Where people know my value, what I bring to the table every single night, every single day. Having my beautiful family here, if that works out, of course I’d want to end my career here.”
Schroder, who arrived in the Bay Area on Tuesday, expressed his excitement about being in San Francisco, calling it one of his favorite cities. He makes his team debut Thursday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, and if his on-court fit with the Warriors pans out as expected, Schroder could be more than just a temporary solution for them this season.
Dennis Schröder's FIRST Day as a member of #DubNation pic.twitter.com/Kdne9zlhP8
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 18, 2024
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, December 19th:
“No doubt [on looking into keeping him long term],” Dunleavy said. “Anytime you’re giving things up — in this case, we’re giving up some draft capital — I don’t think you intend for it to be a short-term thing. At Dennis’ age, we still think he’s got a lot of good years left in him and we’ll have the ability to re-sign him after the season. Again, we think he’s a good fit for us on both sides of the court. Hopefully, there’s a relationship here longer than a few months.”
The newest member of the Warriors explained his son Dennis Jr.’s reaction upon hearing that he had been traded to Golden State.
“He was like, ‘Oh, we’re lucky, now it’s a good team at least,’ ” Schröder said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “That was the first thing, and I had to laugh and I was in a bad mood. He’s of course a Steph Curry fan…
“He watches every game, all he does is basketball and he’s going to be thrilled to see him. Even yesterday when I came in, he was like ‘Was Steph Curry there?’ I was like, ‘You’re not going to ask me how I’m doing?’”
BREAKING: @warriors crack $9B, lead 2024 @NBA Team Valuations as every team is now worth more than $3 billion.
— Sportico (@Sportico) December 18, 2024
The latest from @kbadenhausen, read the full story ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LlMWEEFNW7
Buzz: The Golden State Warriors were hot out of the “trade season” gate, replacing injured guard De’Anthony Melton with Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets. The franchise is either evaluating Kuminga with an eye on a long-term contract or showcasing him for a trade. Through his five starts in December, the 22-year-old forward is averaging 21 points per game.
The Warriors have explored chasing a more established star (like Lauri Markkanen, who extended with the Utah Jazz), and Kuminga would be a key piece. However, the team may also need to part with Andrew Wiggins if it targets a high-dollar place since the Warriors are very close to their first-apron hard cap of $178.1 million; any trade must reduce salary enough to enable the franchise to field 14 players under standard contracts.
When considering potential Kuminga destinations, try not to focus too hard on who the Warriors may target directly, as a multi-team trade may be the answer in most scenarios.
Landing spots: Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz
“We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are in traditional television,” Silver said. “And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which will enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service. And as we move to streaming service, putting aside how the actual game is played on the floor, it’s going to allow us from a production standpoint to do all kinds of things that you can’t do through traditional television. All kinds of new functionality, all kinds of new options and screens that are available.
“The vast majority of people consume us through media, not in person,” Silver said. “So we have to pay a lot of attention.”
“To do as well as I did, I swear to God, anywhere else I’m probably looking at an extension with what I did,” Ham said. “I’m not talking about feelings. I’m talking actual facts. They go from not making it to the playoffs to the final four in the NBA, the conference finals. And then you win the in-season tournament, navigate through all the injuries and win both of your play-in games to get to the playoffs.
“People always talk about us losing to Denver, but they never talk about how we got to Denver. We beat a kick-ass young squad in Memphis and we beat Golden State.”
Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Damian Lillard has agreed to a lifetime contract extension with Adidas, sources told ESPN. Lillard now joins LeBron James and Kevin Durant (Nike) and Stephen Curry (Under Armour/Curry Brand) as active NBA players with lifetime shoe endorsements. pic.twitter.com/BNKU2VDUNT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2024
And with that, the Warriors, generally known for their gorgeous motion offense and three-point shooting, are re-branding as a scrappy and gritty team. I’m not sure there’s a player in the NBA who wants to be near Green or Schröder when a loose ball is to be fought for, and if you’re compiling the league’s All-Won’t-Back-Down-When-Shoved team, or an All-Likely-To-Insult-You-To-Your-Face-With-The-Game-On-The-Line team, Green and Schröder are probably first-teamers.
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