Monte Poole: “The Warriors are big game hunters”

Monte Poole: “The Warriors are big game hunters”

Monty pool NBC Sports Bay are he joins us he was in there asking questions to Mike dun leevy just a couple of hours ago Monty good evening thanks for coming on what was your biggest takeaway from that press conference today well that Mike wasn’t really going to divulge much um I think you know he was a little bit disingenuous when he said that basically said that trades are almost impossible um I think this this is the guy who traded for Paul last summer who saw that coming and what did we see the other day we saw Oklahoma City trade for kuso traded Josh giddy for Caruso you know they immediately addressed a defensive need in in OKC so uh and then we saw the team in the NBA Finals Dallas Mavericks what got them there trade deadline deals Boston Celtics what got them there last summer deals with for Drew holiday and for Chris porzingis so trades are not impossible they’re not even difficult if you find the right team at the right time but to listen to Mike he was like trades are really really hard I mean they’re not easy but they’re doable they’re doable they happen all the time in the NBA and if you look around you’ll see them um so yeah I me that was part of it and also I think um it was pretty apparent that yes they want to get under the luxury they want to get out of out of the second a but they don’t want they want to avoid that and they will um but that was one of the things that we knew beforehand so that wasn’t a revelation really I think he was asked about kaban Looney and his presence and his opting into into his cont guaranteeing his contract which you know he made it clear too that yeah they love cavan but also you know having him under contract makes him easier to trade you know and so these are all things that that I think if you look at read between the lines um nothing was a surprise per se Mike isn’t going to surprise us with anything that he said during these sessions uh he’s pretty good about that and so to me he pretty much held his cards close to the chest and um didn’t really reveal a whole lot but uh regarding Klay Thompson yeah he he reiterated what he said mon a couple months ago that they W played back but it’s also clear as time has gone on that you know they want they want clay back at the price that they want to pay and so the result is that you have a little bit of a standoff and uh you got um The Well clay and his people wanting one thing and the Warriors and their people wanting another thing and I think this is going to be one of those cases that the market will decide where clay clay goes and maybe the market won’t be as hot for him as as as they would like and I think that’s what the Warriors are kind of gambling yeah and Mark pointed out the Malik monk contract coming in below 20 million a year kind of sends up maybe a flare for Clay’s Market being softer than what he would have thought of Monty I want to ask you about the Chris Paul contract when guaranteeing it would be something that they could use in a trade and how does that work as far as the financial ramifications of a team trying to take on that deal yeah help me that’ll be the hard part I mean hello yeah just help me Monty I’m confused by all this well so am I at times so yeah the the league changes there’s there’s things that change every year within the contract statuses and and the various um machinations between or financial ramifications of the team so in this case uh the Warriors you know Chris let’s let’s say it like it is first of all Chris Paul chance of being a warrior this coming season are like less than 1% okay uh maybe like less than 0.11 0.1% uh highly highly unlikely I don’t see it happening but the Warriors right as of now dictate kind of where Chris can go and to make that happen they have to guarantee his deal you can’t trade him if he’s not under contract and so to guarantee his deal they can possibly trade in then now I don’t think the question the question then becomes where would you trade him and no I still think he’s going to end up in La uh I still think end up more likely with the Lakers than the Clippers and if you tra if you sign into a contract I think there’s a way you can buy him out if he wants to be let go and that’s the thing you know sometimes Chris has been through that before the bout situation that’s why he’s been on what I think five or six different teams so far in his career so the Warriors have options with Chris but they don’t have any options that they can use unless until they guarantee a deal and and if they don’t and they and they will do that because they know that that’s the only that’s a chip they have right now so when you look at Chris and Clay those people are asking what the war’s going to do with free agency well everything they do anything they do begins and ends well begins with what they do with clay and Chris those two guys will what happens with those two guys will dictate what the Warriors do or don’t do uh next week uh Monty just real quick for further Clarity on that when we see that they are working with Chris to push the deadline beyond June 28th what what does that mean does that does that mean they’re asking Chris if they can push it what kind of leeway do they have there yeah well the team and the player have to both reach an agreement to do that and I don’t know where Chris stands on that um you know he’s a guy who knows the end and out he was the president of the Players Association for a number of years so he knows what’s best for him and and believe me Chris is gonna he’s a businessman he’s going to do what’s best for him but yeah he has to to agree to that and I think in the end he probably will if he thinks that that will benefit him and in his future and where he wants to be because he already knows that this is not going to be where he is next year next season so and he wants to keep playing and that’s where it comes in so the team can’t arbitrarily do it they have to be have agreement with Chris to do that they can push it back just a little bit but they can push it back indefinitely might pool NBC Sports baray area let Let Us Rapid Fire just a few names at you uh what What’s the likelihood of Paul George uh going up going up a little bit every day okay um yeah well let’s say the Warriors would have interest in Paul George for sure um and if Paul decides that he wants to sign a contract and therefore be available in trade um The Warriors are definitely going to look at that um he’s one of those players that well who what player who be a free agent is more attractive than Paul would be more attractive than Paul George a free be available I should say in any way shape anyway trade or free agency and that’s that’s why I think the Warriors would look at look at him he’s a two-way player defense offense um he’s versatile he can play three positions guard three positions so uh they would be interested in him now the chances of that happening you know I still say at this point it’s a long shot but I would not rule it out because the Warriors will be very aggressive if he becomes available can they do without giving up kaminga I think they I think they could I think they would and I say that because they still seem committed to the timeline the Steph clay Draymond Well Steph Draymond timeline as of now um and maximizing what they can do with step so I think um when you look at that you I I think that Paul George fits that timeline he’s he’s a right now veteran player who can give you something right now and so I think if you look at that you say okay kaminga yeah he’s a player that’s going to be ATT tier to a lot of teams and the Warriors have been fervently saying hey no we’re not gonna We want to keep kaminga that’s been a signal for the better part of oh i’ say started pretty firm around midseason uh that it was pretty clear that they wanted to keep kaminga and there have reasons for that one of them being that he was a first round draft pick a lottery Pick and they don’t want to be the team that lost one lottery pick James wisman because it gave up on him and then lose another lottery pick kaminga because they gave up on him but if the timeline is going to be what they commit to yeah I I think they would move kaminga and and and move on if it got them a Paul George I think they would what about the idea of Kevin Durant now being available and him coming back to the Warriors what do you think the likelihood is of a move like that Monty um well I wouldn’t rule it out but I wouldn’t bet on it either um I think the idea it’s going to be very interesting to see how that plays out because with Steve Curr being the coach of Team USA and Stephen Curry on Team USA and Kevin Durant on Team USA uh that could lead to some interesting conversations over the next uh when they start getting together back in Vegas for training camp on July 6 so um who knows what can happen between now and then and after that so I would not move it out because um I’m not so sure Kevin is Kevin’s always been available to move he’s not a guy who’s feels like he has to stay in any one place and the question is whether he would come back to a place that he’s already been uh is something they’d have to figure out but if Kevin Durant is in in any way available I think the Warriors would definitely be interested Joe lob has always said he never understood why KD left uh one more name for you Monty what about Jimmy Butler Jimmy uh well he fits the timeline but I I don’t know if they trust Jimmy’s body he misses Bunches of games lately every year like in the regular season and even in the postseason so Jimmy is appealing in theory but I’m not sure he’s as appealing in reality because um he does Miss a bunch of games and Pat Riley made it clear he was not pleased with that he loves Jimmy Butler’s fire his leadership uh what he put what he gives to a team he loves that competitive design but you you can’t compete if you’re not available and I think the Warriors would be a little bit concerned about Jimmy’s availability uh and and so that might scare them off of a deal like that but again the Warriors are big game Hunters so that’s Jill lobs that’s his approach that’s his Mo so I would not rule out anything that involves them getting a an All-Star caliber player to parir along with Steph and Draymond and what do you think the chances are of them bagging something in the big game realm Monty are do you think that they’re going to be aggressive almost no matter what yes yes I I don’t think they’ll look at this team next I don’t think you go to training camp and say okay we got Steph we got Draymond and we got uh uh the rest of the guys no I think they want to go in and say we got Steph we got Draymond and we got this guy and we got the rest of the guys I definitely think they want another impact player I think they’re going to do whatever they can to bring in at least one other impact player uh Monty before you run give us and I know this moves every day um what is your current percentage chance that Klay Thompson is on another team next year um it does move every day um but keep in mind that Clay is the most unpredictable guy on the team um he’s a free thinker a free spirit and nothing he would nothing no decision he would make would surprise me well except with one exception uh if he were to go end up in Oklahoma City I’d be stunned okay I don’t see that one but beside from other than that I I think I think clay yeah you know I think there’s a certain sentimental thought that he’d like to stay with the Warriors you know it’s the team that drafted him it’s the team that knows him best the team and it’s the franchise he he knows best so I think but but I think Klay also is curious about what his value with and that’s why I think um it’s going to be interesting to see because I I just don’t think you know Kay was once one of the League’s top two-way players uh and he’s not that anymore and he knows that he’s had to come to grips with that I mean he was an all defensive team player in 20189 and but since then you know with two devastating injuries he hasn’t been able to be the same Defender and uh so I think for that reason you know that’s gonna that’s going to Tain his value a bit he got a Max contract last time around that ain’t happening this time so what’s he going to get I’m told from several people that he wants at least three years the Warriors May hedge on that but at some point maybe clay will too so the market will dictate it but I think I still think that that clay there’s a good chance he comes back but I wouldn’t be surprised if he if he walks to a team that that he thinks is gives him a chance and that gives him the kind of respect he think that he’s earned Monty I’m goingon to push for a number percentage chance is it higher or lower than 50 but he comes back yeah barely higher like 52 48 wow okay wow that’s waffling waffling that’s a number that’s also the most optimistic number I’ve heard anywhere in the last week and a half well i’ I’ve been saying a 5050 for a long time but I’m going to say 5248 because I think the market just I don’t think the market will materialize as as as happily as he would like I think there’ll be le I don’t think there’ll be the kind of money he’s hoping to get uh uh from from some of the other teams that would be looking at him so that’s why I think there’s a chance there’s a good chance he could return because again if if the money’s close it’s gonna be up to Clay I don’t think he’s gonna get a team that’s offer him $40 million yeah but but is he mad at the Warriors like I think that that that’s that’s the vibe right now is is maybe even if the the contract were equal he’d leave money talks man guys can be mad as shell one day I mean I remember time when Kobe Bryant was mad the Lakers yeah you know that’s true so yeah so so that’s why and I don’t think Klay is a guy who holds a grudge forever so uh that’s why again I I think clay has been is is enough of a business person to look at the big picture and see what’s best for him and if he thinks it’s being with the Warriors I think he would do that uh so yeah I’m not going to rule it out at all that he would come back but again the there’s only one move that would surprise me that would be Klay Thompson in a thunder uniform Oklahoma City okay um Monty thank you so much I know it’s a busy week here we go uh thank you so much for for coming on all right guys take care okay thanks

Monte Poole, who covers the Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area, joins Willard and Dibs fresh off general manager Mike Dunleavy’s pre-draft press conference to discuss the Warriors’ options this offseason.

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