Bob Myers stepping down as Warriors president, GM

By Kurt HelinMay 30, 2023, 1:00 PM EDT

The architect of the four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors, the former agent turned two-time Executive of the Year Bob Myers is stepping away from the franchise.

This had been rumored all season and Myers confirmed it to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN prior to Myers’ formal press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s just time,” Myers told ESPN.

Warriors ownership wanted to keep Myers on board and reportedly made generous contract offers to retain him, but Myers just wanted to back away from the job.

Myers took over a Warriors franchise in 2012 that had already drafted Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but was still being led on the court by Monta Ellis and David Lee. Myers drafted Draymond Green (in the second round), eventually traded for Andre Iguodala, built out the roster, fired Mark Jackson and replaced him with Steve Kerr, and generally built a championship team. When that team fell short in 2016 — and boosted by a one-time spike in the salary cap due to a new television deal — Myers brought in Kevin Durant to form one of the best, most dominant teams the NBA had seen, and they won two more titles. After Durant left and due to some brutal injuries, the Warriors stumbled for a few years, but in 2022 found their footing again and won a fourth ring. Myers helped guild all of that.

It is expected Mike Dunleavy Jr. — the No. 2 man in a Warriors front office that values a lot of input from different voices and isn’t classically hierarchical — will take over as the man in charge. Wojnarowski reports that Kirk Lacob, son of owner Joe Lacob, also is expected to have an expanded role.

This changeover comes at a critical time for the Warriors (and adds to the end-of-an-era feeling), heading into an important offseason for the franchise. Green is expected to opt out of his $27.5 million contract for next season and is looking for the security of more years — and this past season showed the Warriors cannot win at a high level without him. However, the Warriors will want him back at a lower figure than that $27.5 million per year. Klay Thompson is set to make $43.2 million next season and is extension eligible, but he is not a max player anymore and the Warriors will want those future years at a much lower price. Then there is Jordan Poole‘s extension kicking in — at $28.7 million — after a down season. The tension following Green punching Poole tainted the entire Warriors’ season, and there is a lot of speculation around the league Poole could be traded.

Myers built strong relationships with the Warriors’ players, and he would have been better positioned to talk to Green and Thompson about sacrifice to keep the team together. That is a tougher sell for Dunleavy.

Don’t expect Myers to jump straight into another NBA job — although offers will come to him fast — he is expected to take a year or more and step back from the game before deciding his next move.

Warriors’ Stephen Curry wins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice award

Associated PressMay 24, 2023, 11:29 AM EDT

NEW YORK — Golden State’s Stephen Curry was selected as this season’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, the NBA announced.

The league will donate $100,000 on Curry’s behalf to the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice. He is the third winner of the award, after Carmelo Anthony in 2021 and Reggie Bullock last year.

Curry’s off-court interests related to social justice are many. He’s a co-chair of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” initiative, to help drive voter registration, education and turnout. He participated in the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition’s “Freedom to Vote” social media campaign to help advocate for the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act in the U.S. Senate.

And when the Warriors visited the White House this season to meet President Joe Biden and commemorate their 2022 NBA title, Curry met with the president to discuss issues of community safety.

“As an athlete, I consistently leverage my platform to amplify advocacy and address the pervasive issue of systemic racism,” Curry said. “I firmly believe that we must be vocal both on social media and in real life, taking tangible actions to effect real change in our society and for generations to come.”

Curry has also worked to support underrepresented groups, championing gender equity in sports, trying to provide opportunity for often-overlooked student-athletes, and committed $6 million in funding to the men’s and women’s golf team at Howard University.

And through a nonprofit he founded with his wife Ayesha, Curry has helped provide over 2 million meals and 500,000 books to students in Oakland, California, plus funded more than 1,500 teacher-led classroom literacy projects and remodeled four new playspaces.

The four other finalists – Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr., San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams – will each receive $25,000 donations from the NBA to social justice organizations of their choosing.

The award was created to recognize players who are making strides in the fight for social justice. Each NBA team nominates one player for consideration; from there, five finalists are selected and ultimately one winner is chosen.

Abdul-Jabbar is part of the selection committee, which also includes Director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport Dr. Richard Lapchick; National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial; UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía; Rise Founder and CEO Amanda Nguyen; and NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.

GM Bob Myers reportedly close to walking away from Warriors

By Kurt HelinMay 18, 2023, 12:42 PM EDT

The Golden State Warriors appear about to lose their biggest free agent.

All season long there have been rumblings that team president and general manager Bob Myers — the former agent turned front office guru who was the key architect of the four-time champion Warriors — was ready to step away. The question was if this was a leverage play by the former agent for more money or power, or was he really done and wanted space? Those questions still loom, but Shams Charania of The Athletic says the sides are not talking.

The Golden State Warriors and president of basketball operations Bob Myers have had no substantial contract extension talks in months and the sides are bracing for the likelihood that Myers could walk away from the franchise, league sources told The Athletic. His contract is up on June 30.

Both sides exchanged offers and counter-offers several months ago, and there has since been no traction on a new deal, league sources say. The Warriors have not yet presented an offer that has blown Myers away, but there’s also a growing sense that even a competitive market offer — near the top of the executive food chain — may not keep Myers with the franchise.

If this is about money — and it’s always about money — the clues are in the phrasings of this report. The Warriors believe offering “near the top” of executives’ salaries will not blow Myers away. Or, translated, Myers thinks he’s earned the right to be the highest-paid executive in the league, he has a sense of his value, and the Warriors haven’t been willing to go there.

How this plays out could impact an important offseason for Golden State. Draymond Green has a $27.5 million player option he is widely expected to opt out of unless the Warriors extend him off of it. Coach Steve Kerr was clear he wants Green back — even if his punch of Jordan Poole threw the team off all season — but the Warriors will want those multiple years at a lower number than that $27.5 million. For his part, Green commented on Chrania’s Instagram post about Myers potentially leaving, “that sucks.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shams Charania (@shamsnba)

Klay Thompson also can be extended, he is set to make $43.2 million next season but he is not a max player anymore and the Warriors will want him back at a lower number.

Myers has a strong relationship with the Warriors’ players, and it’s much easier for him to walk into a room and talk to Green and Thompson about taking less than anyone else (and it wouldn’t be an easy pitch for him). That’s not even getting into possible trades of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and others to add depth to the roster.

We’ll know how the Myers drama will play out before the NBA Draft on June 22. While the Warriors pick at No. 19, the real drama will be in trades and player movement, and Golden State will need whoever will be in charge beyond June 30 to be the person steering the ship that night.

If it’s not Myers, expect the Warriors to promote from within rather than bring in someone from the outside that would change the franchise culture. Mike Dunleavy Jr. is the most likely successor.

Draymond Green says punching Poole reason Warriors not still playing, Kerr says they need Green back

By Kurt HelinMay 17, 2023, 12:33 PM EDT

The Warriors didn’t win enough because of Draymond Green. But the Warriors can’t win enough without Draymond Green.

That’s where the team finds itself heading into an offseason where Green is widely expected to opt out of his $27.6 million contract for next season, unless the Warriors reach a deal to extend him off of it.

The defending champion Warriors were bounced from the playoffs disappointingly early by the Lakers in the second round. Green took the blame for that — not for his play in the series but punching Jordan Poole in a practice before the season, a blow that threw the Warriors organization off balance in a way they never fully recovered from. Green said to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on a second-screen stream of Game 1 between the Lakers and Nuggets that the Warriors “would still be playing” if he hadn’t thrown that punch.

UPDATE: While on Stephen A’s world, Draymond is asked if not for the punch would the Warriors still be playing. He says yes, reiterates he didn’t have his voice to start the year, also says it was hard to help Poole during his struggles (excuse baby sounds 😂) pic.twitter.com/AwQWHpKYwB

— Allen Stiles (@The_StilesFiles) May 17, 2023

That punch might have gotten Green traded off a lot of teams. That punch and the aftermath combined with the very expensive financial waters the Warriors are sailing into next season — complete with a new CBA that comes down hard on teams well over the luxury tax — would mean Green is shown the door with many franchises.

However, it was also evident this season and in the playoffs that the Warriors needed Green to win. He is still an All-Defensive Team level player who also is a gifted passer who fits perfectly in the Warriors system.

“If Draymond is not back, we’re not a championship contender,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday at his postseason press conference, via the Associated Press. “We know that. He’s that important to winning and to who we are. I absolutely want him back.”

Green has said he wants to return and chase another ring with the core of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

“He knows that he had a great season this year, from a basketball perspective, but he knows that he also compromised things by what happened back in October,” Kerr said. “So part of him coming back next year has to be about rebuilding some of that trust and respect that he’s earned here for a long period of time.

“One thing I love about Draymond is he’s always brutally honest, and he can take that sort of critique because he knows it’s the truth. I want him back. I think we all want him back.”

Green and the core are likely back, but there will be changes this summer to the Warriors, and that could start with team general manager Bob Myers. It’s going to be much easier for the Warriors to talk extension with Green (likely at a lower number than that $27.6 million option) and Thompson (also at a lower number than the max he made last contract) if Myers and his relationship with the team is back in the room.

Either way, expect Green to be back in Golden State next season. Whether they are still feeling the effects of the punch remains to be seen.

Stephen Curry partners with top prospect Scoot Henderson to provide support, guidence

Associated PressMay 15, 2023, 11:36 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. — In an empty gym on a small campus deserted for spring break, one of the NBA’s top future prospects receives shooting guidance from coaches on Stephen Curry’s training team.

Scoot Henderson goes through some of the same drills as the Golden State superstar himself – one-footed free throws, catch-and-shoots from around the perimeter, two dribbles between the legs then let it fly from the top of the 3-point arc.

On the other end of the court in the Laney College arena is Henderson’s younger sister, Moochie, who has committed to play guard for Georgia State.

The Hendersons, teenagers and the youngest of seven children, are receiving a one-of-a-kind opportunity partnering with Curry’s company, SC30 Inc., to gain support and guidance as the family develops its brand – on and off the court.

“Just getting this early training and early knowledge from Steph mentoring me and the people around him, it’s a blessing,” Scoot Henderson said. “Me just turning 19, just getting that knowledge early, it’s really cool.”

Curry is helping Henderson build his business model and will offer his resources to the rising star and his family as the point guard makes the transition to the next level. He finished his high school coursework more than 1 1/2 years early to play two seasons for the G League Ignite and has established himself as a projected top-three draft pick.

Curry’s involvement includes opening his network to connect Henderson with shooting coaches, the two-time MVP’s strength and conditioning team and others leading up to the NBA draft next month.

They spent some time getting to know each other in late March, when Scoot and Moochie went through a training session with Curry’s coaches for a morning at Laney College.

What appeals to Curry beyond Henderson’s talent, which makes him one of the most athletic point guards in the 2023 class, is the commitment to community he has demonstrated at home in Marietta, Georgia.

“They’ve developed a perspective on the blessings from the game of basketball and the doors that it’s opened and the platform that you’re given. The resources you have access to can all lead to a sense of purpose outside of just putting the ball in the basket,” said Curry, whose Warriors were eliminated Friday by the Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. “They’re obviously wise beyond their years on that front and understanding that you can do both.”

Henderson is grateful he can lean on Curry, whose off-court work with children and aiding the less fortunate includes his Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation focused on fighting childhood hunger, supporting education and providing safe places for kids to be active.

Five years ago, Henderson’s parents, Chris and Crystal, opened a gym called Next Play 360 near their home to offer an inclusive space with an emphasis on academics, athletics, leadership and community outreach.

Henderson himself has helped plan holiday gift and food drives – aiding 75 families last year with the next goal being 360 families, then 3,600 and eventually 36,000 – among other projects, and he hopes to keep doing more.

The Hendersons partner with schools in Cobb County to identify those in need.

“Helping my community strive, that was always the vision,” Henderson said. “If I was going up, my family was going up with me. That was the vision for all my siblings.”

Moochie is also benefiting from having access to Curry’s team of experts, acknowledging, “Being a 17-year-old coming out here and getting this experience is really important.”

The Hendersons realize how fortunate they are to be getting a head start thanks to Curry’s resources.

“It’s almost unreal, actually, Steph Curry is probably my favorite player in the world,” said Chris, who has coached Moochie’s teams teams for years. “They benefit from it but I benefit, too. It’s a blessing for my kids just to be a part of it.”

They got connected through some of Curry’s longtime colleagues who thought the two might make great partners given their shared commitment to balancing basketball and philanthropy.

“To be a support system for that and how that’s going to evolve over time, that’s the exciting part and it reinvigorates another energy to what we’re doing because you understand – I’m the old guy – the next generation is about that life as well,” Curry said.

Check out more on the Warriors

Here is more on the Warriors

Check out more on the Warriors

Here is more on the Warriors

Here is more on the Warriors