NBA rumors: Warriors wanted to trade for both Paul George, Lauri Markkanen

Expectations are always high for the Golden State Warriors. That is because they have captured four titles since 2015, and Stephen Curry is still in the midst of his prime at 36 years old. Curry and the Warriors have been the league's best dynasty over the last decade, yet the organization has appeared to take a step back in recent years since winning their last championship in 2022.

In attempts to remain relevant in the championship picture and capitalize on the final years of Curry's illustrious career, Golden State was aggressive on the trade market this offseason, so much so that they looked to acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz and Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers.

While it appeared at first as if the Warriors targeted Markkanen after failing to come to terms on a deal with the Clippers for George, that was not the case. In fact, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warriors front office were looking to acquire both George and Markkanen to pair with Curry and Draymond Green during the 2024-25 season, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

A move like this wouldn't have been unprecedented for the Warriors, an organization that has made their intentions of competing for championships clear.

Warriors' pursuit of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen

The Warriors cleared their roster in 2016 to grab Kevin Durant in free agency, and the team didn't back down from making a big move during the 2019-20 season when they traded for Andrew Wiggins. Winning is all that matters to this franchise, hence the aggression they had pursuing George and Markkanen on the trade market.

Due to George having the ability to opt out of his contract with the Clippers prior to free agency, there was a chance that the Warriors could use this to their advantage and save assets to offer in a deal for Markkanen since the Jazz would be wanting a haul for the young star. This was a really thought-out and smart plan for the Warriors. Unfortunately for them, both the Clippers and Jazz played hardball when it came to making a trade with an organization that has won four titles over the last decade.

Whereas the Clippers demanded Jonathan Kuminga to be included in any trade package for George, league sources told ClutchPoints, the Jazz were wanting the rest of the Warriors' young core. For Markkanen, that would've meant relinquishing Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, possibly Trayce Jackson-Davis, and multiple future first-round picks that would've left Golden State with zero draft capital. Essentially, the Warriors would've been left with a core group of Curry, Green, George, and Markkanen, with whoever else the team could've added to their roster via minimum contracts in free agency.

This wasn't a realistic path for this franchise, especially since financial hardship and owning the league's highest tax bill took a toll on the front office's ability to make significant adjustments.

Once again, change was starring the Warriors down. Chris Paul was going to be leaving in the offseason, and Klay Thompson ultimately decided to part ways with the franchise he had spent his entire career with, winning four championships alongside Curry and Green. Golden State had the cap space and the ability to pull off trades for both George and Markkanen, yet neither deal happened because of the fact that the Warriors didn't believe sacrificing their entire future for these two players was worthwhile.

“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr told The Athletic. “He just said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense to sell your entire future for a team that you think can be pretty good, but isn’t awesome, right?’ Especially at this stage with the ages of our stars.”

Warriors owner Joe Lacob echoes a similar response, claiming that it is important to know that going “all in” means giving up every single asset the team has built or intends on building. While the idea of adding Markkanen and George stands out, this isn't something the Warriors were willing to truly go all in for.

The one thing that is known about the Warriors heading into the 2024-25 season is that everyone in the organization has full belief in Dunleavy's abilities to once again build this organization into a championship contender. While they may not have added an All-Star this offseason, Golden State held onto their young core while also continuing to build around Curry with key veterans like Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson.

For the first time in many years, the Warriors have the depth and shooting needed to once again be a force in the Western Conference. Time will tell what stars will become available and possibly become Dunleavy's newest target to ensure long-term success for Golden State.