NBA rumors: Warriors losing more than just Bob Myers in front office
Bob Myers #BobMyers
The Golden State Warriors’ front office overhaul stretches beyond Bob Myers’ exit as team president.
After years of looking down at the rest of the NBA, the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty is starting to crumble.
It’s too early to write the obituary on any team that employs Stephen Curry, but the unbeatable juggernauts of yesteryear feel more mortal than ever. The Warriors were ousted in the second round of the playoffs by the No. 7 seed Lakers — the first time a Steve Kerr team has ever been eliminated by a western conference opponent.
Now Golden State faces an offseason of potentially foundational change. Klay Thompson is due for the riskiest extension imaginable. Draymond Green is a free agent. The prized gems of Golden State’s “two timelines” approach, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, are both on the trade block.
And, perhaps the greatest signal of the changes to come, Bob Myers is no longer team president. The mastermind behind a decade of dominance left his post earlier this summer, with Mike Dunleavy Jr. set to take over the GM reigns in San Francisco.
Myers isn’t the only one leaving either.
The Warriors will no longer employ Shaun Livingston, who spent three years in the front office as director of players affairs and engagement.
Livingston spent five remarkable seasons with Golden State at the end of his playing career, winning three championships. For all the talk about Golden State’s 3-point revolution, there were few more dependable shots in the Warriors offense than a Livingston mid-range jumper during the glory days.
He made the transition to the front office shortly after his retirement, working closely with the players. His built-in chemistry with Curry, Thompson, Green, and the primary core was a major incentive for Golden State to keep him around.
While Livingston’s exit is for personal reasons — not one marred in conflict or cooperate motivations — it does feel like the end of an era.
Myers was known not only for his roster-building acumen, but for his strong kinship with Golden State’s stars. He was able to coax buy-in and sacrifice out of the best players in the league in a way few front office execs can.
Now Livingston, another front office staple with deep personal connections to the Golden State core, is out the door. Dunleavy and others around the organization still have a relationship with the players, but it’s not the same. There is already chatter of Green considering other options in free agency. Meanwhile, how much are the Warriors truly willing to spend on Thompson’s next contract after his wayward postseason? And what kind of discount is Thompson willing to take after years of top-notch service and sacrifice, not to mention four rings?
Those questions are more are currently unanswered. The future is inherently unpredictable, especially in the NBA. Golden State still has the pieces to contend for a championship, and maybe this time next year we’re all talking about Curry’s fifth ring and his elevated standing in the history books. But, right now at this very moment, things have never felt less uncertain for the Steve Kerr-era Golden State Warriors. Change will come, it’s only a matter of how swiftly.
Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.