Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11), guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23).© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors finished the 2023-24 regular season as the 10th seed in the Western Conference. They will face the Sacramento Kings in the opening game of the play-in tournament.
Golden State eliminated Sacramento in the first round of last season’s playoffs in an enthralling seven-game series.
Over the last decade, the Warriors have been the most dominant team in the NBA. However, Chandler Parsons believes that a failure to qualify for the playoffs this season could end the tenure of Golden State’s star trio.
“I think so,” Parsons said when asked if a loss in the play-in tournament would force the Warriors to make changes. “I can see Klay, I think he’s played well enough this year to get a huge bag from a team like the Orlando Magic…To get knocked off by their little brother, the Sacramento Kings, I think this would be their final game together.”
Thompson would be the Warriors’ most logical casualty. His contract expires in the summer, and he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Orlando Magic are rumored to be interested in acquiring him. His injury history has sapped some of his lower body strength, making him less mobile and less effective when guarding the perimeter.
Nevertheless, Thompson is still an elite shooter. He has proven he can still be an integral piece for a contending team, either in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.
Of course, the Warriors could choose to move on from Draymond Green instead. The veteran forward has served two suspensions this season and has been ejected four times.
Whatever the Warriors decide to do, a loss in the play-in tournament would likely push them to make a significant change. They have a young contingent of players who are starting to flourish. Removing an aging veteran to open up playing time would make sense.
Of course, if the Warriors can navigate the play-in tournament and make some noise in the postseason, it’s highly unlikely the front office breaks up the championship core during the summer. Still, this is a question the team will likely need to answer every year for the foreseeable future.
