Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Thursday, April 18th.
The Golden State Warriors conducted their exit interviews a day after their 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings officially eliminated them from playoff contention. It was a somber atmosphere, rife with questions about the challenges of this past season along with the uncertainties that lie within the team’s future.
Warriors’ small forward Andrew Wiggins was among those reflecting on a season he felt was “not too good” by his personal standards. He endured a rough start to the year, struggling to find a consistent rhythm on either side of the floor. This led to changes in his role where he fluctuated between starting and coming off the bench as the team searched for optimal lineup combinations. Although Wiggins began to find his footing in the second half of the season, his campaign concluded with a career-low average of 13.2 points per game.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, April 18th:
- Andrew Wiggins reflects on his struggles this season
- Chris Paul says he is not retiring
- Raptors’ player Jontay Porter receives lifetime NBA ban after betting scandal
Warriors News:
Andrew Wiggins reflects on his season: “My season was not too good”
“My season was not too good.”
Wiggins on his season and how he improved in the second half pic.twitter.com/pm5eGNsoOQ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 17, 2024
Chris Paul said he isn’t retiring, but is there any future with the Warriors? | The Athletic
“It’s a difficult situation for him that he handled beautifully,” Kerr said. “He’s always been the starting point guard for his team. But you look at our team and we’re pretty small. Even though he’s one of our best players, if we want to throw our best players out there — and he’s one of them — you start adding up Chris, Steph, Klay, it’s not the ideal roster for him.
“But he was fantastic for us because he became our backup point guard. As I’ve said many times, our non-Steph minutes were the best they’ve ever been because of Chris’ leadership.”
Not the ideal roster for him. That’s the subsection of that Kerr quote that probably hits the hardest. Paul, on a reasonable deal, still makes plenty of sense for the Warriors as a backup point guard to stabilize them with Curry out. But he still desires more and his on-court impact and production and market could justify that, making a reunion unlikely.
What Myers believes will drive Klay’s impending free-agency decision | NBC Sports Bay Area
“Klay will stay if he feels like hes been appreciated and paid what is appropriate,” Myers explained. “But if he’s not, that’s the question.
“It’s always kind of a pride component, because it’s not money. People will say, ‘Well, Klay Thompson has made all this money.’ Fine. But you know what? There’s a pride component to it for any professional athlete. So, it’s not just the money. He doesn’t need any more money for the rest of his life. That’s not the point, though. If somebody comes along and doubles the Warriors’ offer, things might change.”
What Will Become of the Golden State Warriors? | The Ringer
How much is team owner Joe Lacob willing to spend?
After two years of astronomical tax bills, this is perhaps the most consequential question of the Warriors’ offseason. In February, Lacob stated his desire for the Warriors to get under the luxury tax threshold this summer, which is projected to be around $172 million. As of now, Golden State has $174 million in salary committed for next season. The line for the über-restrictive second apron will be around $189 million.
Lacob has talked about cutting costs before, but in the end, he’s been willing to spend if he feels like a championship is within reach. Following the Warriors’ last title, he re-signed Poole and Wiggins to nine-figure deals, hoping to go back-to-back. Last summer, after the Warriors’ second-round loss to the Lakers, he inked Green to a multiyear extension that included a player option. Even this year, days after declaring his desire to maneuver under the tax, Lacob kicked the tires on a potential trade for LeBron James. But after a 10th-place finish and a play-in loss, will Lacob be willing to pour even more money into the team, especially as the harsher penalties of the new CBA take effect?
If the Warriors intend to get both cheaper and better, they’ll be attempting to pull off one of the most difficult balancing acts in the modern NBA.
Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ offseason plans: “It’s the first time I think that I’ve really felt like there needs to be some change”
Kerr told @WillardAndDibs that this offseason is going to be different pic.twitter.com/6cYvaAiM1U
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 18, 2024
NBA News:
NBA bars Jontay Porter for betting, league’s first gambling ban for player in 70 years | The Athletic
According to the results of a league investigation, Porter, 24, gave a confidential tip about his health to a person he knew to be a sports bettor before the Raptors’ game on March 20 against the Sacramento Kings. A third individual, connected to both Porter and the original recipient of Porter’s health information, placed an $80,000 parlay bet to win $1.1 million, a wager that hinged on the prediction that Porter would underperform against the Kings.
To make sure that the bet hit, the league found, Porter pulled himself out of that Kings game after just three minutes, claiming he was ill.
The investigation also showed that from January through March, while splitting games between Toronto and its G League affiliate, Raptors 905, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account. Although none of those bets were on games in which Porter played, he did bet on the Raptors to lose as part of a parlay bet. The wagers ranged in size from $15 to $22,000, and totaled $54,000. He netted nearly $22,000 in winnings on the bets, the league said.
Bulls knock Hawks out of play-in, advance to face Heat | ESPN
White finished with a career-high 42 points, the second-most by a player in a play-in game (Jayson Tatum had 50 in 2021) and his first career 40-point game, to lead the Bulls to a 131-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The game will not officially count toward White’s career regular-season or career playoff stats, but he didn’t want to hear it.
“It’s on the stat sheet right here,” White said with a smile as he pointed to the paper in his hand at a postgame news conference.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler expected to miss time due to an MCL injury
The expectation is Miami’s Jimmy Butler will be out multiple weeks, sources said. Butler remarkably played the final three quarters vs. 76ers last night with what is now feared to be an MCL injury. https://t.co/dEDMAuuXuN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2024
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Klay Thompson’s brick fest in play-in could be final Warriors game, but don’t bet on it
It would be deeply sad if an 0-for-10 game was the last time we saw Thompson with the Warriors. He deserves so much better after grinding to come back from two devastating injuries after being one of the most electric shooters in league history. The Warriors face some tough decisions if they want to build another contender around Curry. That starts with Thompson’s free agency.
Lakers beat Pelicans in Play-In Tournament opener
The Dubs and Pelicans have played three times this year, and the results have been all over the place. The Warriors had one of their best wins of the season against New Orleans, obliterating the Pelicans 130-102 on the road in just the fourth game of the year. The Warriors also had one of their worst losses of the season against the Pels, losing a January home game by an embarrassing score of 141-105. Most recently, the Warriors dropped a home thriller against the Pelicans on Friday, 114-109.
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