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Warriors Tried to Trade Steph Curry, Klay Thompson for Chris Paul

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Warriors Tried to Trade Steph Curry, Klay Thompson for Chris Paul

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The Golden State Warriors’ dynasty may have never materialized if a blockbuster trade had gone through in 2011.

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In his new book, The Victory Machine, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of The Athletic reported the Warriors attempted to land Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets (h/t Pro Basketball Talk’s Dan Feldman). Golden State’s trade package included Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

“It was far from the only time Curry was shopped, but in this instance, the deal was very close to completion,” Strauss wrote. “Myers made the offer and Hornets GM Dell Demps was receptive.”

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However, former Warriors GM Larry Riley denies the rumor:

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported in 2017 (h/t RealGM) that Paul informed both the Warriors and Boston Celtics he wouldn’t sign an extension if they had acquired him from New Orleans.

Strauss’ report echoed what Sam Amick noted for Sports Illustrated in December 2011. Golden State put Curry, Thompson and 2010 first-round pick Ekpe Udoh on the table. Upon getting Paul, the Warriors then planned to waive Andris Biedrins and sign Tyson Chandler to a four-year contract.

Paul eventually went to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the New York Knicks added Chandler in a three-team sign-and-trade.

Warriors Tried to Trade Steph Curry, Klay Thompson for Chris Paul In 2011

Strauss wrote the Hornets were one of a few teams that could’ve acquired Curry and Thompson:

“The Hornets weren’t the only organization to narrowly lose out on the deal of a lifetime. According to one GM, ‘The Warriors were blind lucky that they were unsuccessful in trading Steph and Klay together for the stars they offered them together for,’ he said. ‘There were many, many people they tried to get and failed.'”

Three years after their pursuit of Paul, the Warriors made a run at Kevin Love, who was forging an exit from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thompson would’ve gone the other way.

Majority owner Joe Lacob famously proclaimed in March 2016 that Golden State was “light-years ahead” of its counterparts in the NBA in terms of forward planning and team building.

Of course, it helps to have a little luck.

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It’s hard to imagine the Warriors would put Curry and Thompson together in any trade.

Curry was only approaching his third season in 2011-12. His first two years were encouraging but not otherworldly.

Thompson was still a rookie, and even by the time he was linked to the Timberwolves in 2014, he still hadn’t ascended to All-Star status.

Perhaps the Warriors would’ve found a way to win multiple titles with a roster built around Paul. However, it’s hard to see how they would’ve achieved the success they have enjoyed with the Splash Brothers.

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Steph Curry And Andre Iguodala Ot Battles

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Steph Curry And Andre Iguodala Ot Battles

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Steph Curry was originally planning on spending the last day of May helping the Golden State Warriors prep for the NBA Finals. But after the team was eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Curry’s plans turned to his other passion: golf. And he brought some of his closest people with him.

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Curry participated in the PGA Tour’s Memorial Pro-Am on Wednesday at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin Ohio, about two hours away from the hospital where he (and LeBron James!) were born.

Unlike some pro-ams, such as the famous event at Pebble Beach, the field for the Memorial was kept under wraps until the last minute. And not only did Curry play, but he — and his philanthropic group, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation — were ambassadors.

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The pro-am, which takes place a day before the official PGA Tour tournament at the same golf course, features 27 pairings, each with two PGA Tour golfers and three amateurs. Curry, an avid golfer with a low handicap — and someone who golf coaches and pros have said could potentially make the cut at a real tournament — was paired with superstar Jordan Spieth, a three-time Major champion, 13-time PGA Tour winner, the current No. 11 ranked golfer in the world, and, crucially, the face of Under Armour’s golf line. He was also paired with Keith Mitchell, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 56 ranked golfer in the world.

On the amateur side, Curry was paired with his own brother-in-law and former teammate, NBA free agent Damion Lee, as well as country music star and avid golfer Jake Owen.

READ MORE Lakers could end up with ‘giant headache’ if LeBron James gets his wish

But Curry wasn’t the only Warriors player in attendance. Andre Iguodala — who is one of Curry’s closest friends and his frequent golf partner — also played in the event. Fittingly, Iguodala was paired with Spieth’s best friend, golf star Justin Thomas, a two-time Major champion, 15-time PGA Tour winner, and currently the No. 15 ranked golfer in the world. He was also paired with J.J. Spaun, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 77 ranked golfer in the world, country music and reality competition star Luke Bryan, and tech investor and influencer Geoff Yang.

In addition to those three Warriors players, Curry’s dad, Dell (a former NBA player and a current broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets) and brother Seth (a former Santa Cruz Warrior and current NBA free agent) also played. They were paired together with actor Chris O’Donnell, and pros Collin Morikawa, a two-time Major champion, five-time PGA Tour winner, and the No. 18 golfer in the world, and Tyrrell Hatton, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 17 golfer in the world.

In addition to all that, the Bay Area was represented with a few other athletes as well, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Steve Young and Alex Smith playing, as well as other notable celebrities like retired NFL superstars Peyton Manning and Larry Fitzgerald, and actor Josh Duhamel.

On the golf side, the top five golfers in the world, by the official rankings — Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele — were all competing.

Now look at this swing! Don’t leave us for golf yet, Steph!

 

 

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Lakers could end up with ‘giant headache’ if LeBron James gets his wish

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Lakers could end up with ‘giant headache’ if LeBron James gets his wish

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Potential L.A. Lakers signing Kyrie Irving is one of the best players in the NBA, but he is also a giant headache, writer Mark Medina has told GiveMeSport.

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Irving was drafted first overall in 2011 by the Cleveland Cavaliers and really started to take over in his third season. After LeBron James came back to Cleveland, James and Irving led the Cavs to an NBA title in 2016. Yet, following that, everything started to go downhill.

In July 2017, Irving requested a trade from Cleveland and a month later joined the Boston Celtics. He then left Boston in the summer of 2019 to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. Yet, after dealing with injuries and sitting out games, he once again asked for a trade and was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks.

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He’s headed for free agency in July and reports have claimed that James is pushing for the Lakers to sign Irving and re-ignite their partnership. However, Medina has pointed out some of the problems that come with the 6 foot 2 guard.

Lakers could end up with ‘giant headache’ if LeBron James gets his wish

Irving struggles to stay healthy
“I think when you talk to people in the front offices around the league, they think, yeah, he has a great basketball talent, but he’s one giant headache. There’s a lot of unpredictability as far as his availability goes, because he has had a lot of injuries. Even though he trains really well and is well-conditioned and has a great game, he’s had struggles with staying healthy on the court,” Medina told GiveMeSport.

READ MORE After Massive Exit at Stephen Curry’s Warriors, Big Replacement Proposed by the NBA Fans

“Then it’s all the other extracurriculars. There’s been so many times in the last few years when he’s had leave of absences with just taking personal days without any explanations. Then there’s been a lot of unique circumstances like not adhering to the vaccine mandate when playing for a Brooklyn Nets organization in a city that had a vaccine mandate, and therefore didn’t make them available for games.”

Irving’s next move
As Mark Medina says, Kyrie Irving has struggled to stay healthy as he hasn’t played over 70 games since the 2016-17 season with Cleveland, which was his last with the Cavs. Yet, he did seem to find a bit of success in Dallas as he averaged over 38 minutes per game and averaged 27 points per game.

However, the Mavericks missed the playoffs after being in a playoff spot when they traded for him. With that, his future in Dallas is uncertain as Irving is a free agent this summer.

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After Massive Exit at Stephen Curry’s Warriors, Big Replacement Proposed by the NBA Fans

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After Massive Exit at Stephen Curry’s Warriors, Big Replacement Proposed by the NBA Fans

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The Golden State Warriors went to 6 NBA Finals and won 4 NBA championships in a span of eight years. Stephen Curry and the rest of the roster have deservedly earned plaudits for their continued excellence. However, there was one person who played a pivotal role in building this iconic team, Bob Myers.

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Myers, the President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Golden State Warriors resigned from his position recently. Myers played a key role in hiring head coach, Steve Kerr, and made crucial decisions to retain core players like Klay Thompson and acquire stars like Kevin Durant.

Under Myers’ leadership, the Warriors won four championships and achieved the best regular-season record in NBA history. Additionally, he was recognized as the NBA Executive of the Year twice. Naturally, his departure from the organization has raised concerns among fans. However, there is one person Warriors fans will love to see take over the role.

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After Massive Exit at Stephen Curry’s Warriors, Big Replacement Proposed by the NBA Fans

Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala might have played his last game for Golden State. Throughout his time with the team, Iguodala has been instrumental in providing guidance and mentorship to the younger players. His contributions were particularly noteworthy during the Warriors’ successful campaign to win the 2015 NBA Championship.

His exceptional defensive skills against LeBron James played a significant role in the series, earning him the honor of 2015 NBA Finals MVP. Iguodala wished Myers after his decision via a tweet. He tweeted “To more life Robert, appreciate you!”

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Fans were quick to point out how Iggy knows the franchise inside out and would do a great job as Myers’ successor.

Warriors fans present 4x NBA Champion with a request
Despite losing the architect behind their legendary dynasty, Warriors fans found hope in the form of Iguodala. One fan tweeted, “We need you Iggy.”

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