Warriors strike out in Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes – What’s next?

The Golden State Warriors struck out in their bid for Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Milwaukee Bucks decided to wait for the summer to deal the superstar in the hopes they can command a better return or even convince the waivering Antetokounmpo to stay.

Ultimately, the package of Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, four unprotected firsts, and a first-round pick swap that Golden State put on the table was not enough to pry Antetokounmpo away from the Bucks, forcing the Warriors to pivot to acquiring Kristaps Porzingis for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

What’s next for Golden State in the wake of failing to obtain the one player who could give the rest of this season some purpose and meaning? What’s next for Stephen Curry and the dynasty he built in what feels like their twilight days?

The Warriors sit at the tail end of the Western Conference playoff picture, barely holding onto the eighth seed as they continue to slide in the aftermath of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending torn ACL injury.

At present, Curry remains out of the lineup as he tries to heal the patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) plaguing his knee, while Jonathan Kuminga slowly works his way back from a bone bruise in his own knee. That leaves Steve Kerr to field a star-less, uncompetitive rotation featuring talented hyper-specialists, who could be winning contributors in the right system but are ultimately not enough to contend in the West without adequate star power.

With that set of circumstances in mind, it makes for a tepid and underwhelming watch for a Dubs fanbase used to titles, deep playoff runs, and winning. To express the bleakness of Golden State’s current situation is obvious. To spell it out is sobering.

The big questions on Golden State’s horizon

Golden State finds itself falling into basketball purgatory– otherwise known as the soulless abyss where teams that cannot tank and cannot compete reside. And in the deep, dark pit that is basketball purgatory, hard questions about a franchise’s future have to be asked.

With Curry plagued with ailments that can only be described as “old man injuries,” will the Warriors consider shutting him down for the season?

If contending is no longer on the table, perhaps the best move in the short term is to preserve their franchise cornerstone’s health, no matter how tough a sell that will be to the fans, the team, and Curry himself. Is Curry really gonna sideline himself, even if it’s in his health’s best interest?

Regardless, those are the kinds of questions the Warriors have to ask themselves. They also have to ask themselves about Kerr, their legendary head coach, who’s not under contract next season. Kerr and Curry have maintained that they want to ride into the sunset together as player and coach. But given where the franchise seems to be headed, is Kerr interested in commanding the transitional rebuild effort? Are the Warriors interested in Kerr at the helm of a full-on teardown?

Publicly, Kerr remains adamant that those are questions for the offseason. But this season has wrought moments of visible frustration. And The Ringer reported that his coaching staff is operating under the assumption Kerr won’t return. Not to mention owner Joe Lacob’s strange emails to random fans citing disagreements with Kerr’s coaching decisions. Have the crumbs been laid for a seismic departure?

Going down swinging

Without Antetokounmpo, what’s left for the Warriors, at best, is a spirited first-round exit. While they struck out at the deadline, nearly every other Western Conference team beneath them in the standings chose to punt. The Clippers dealt James Harden and Ivica Zubac for an injured Garland and future picks. The Mavs and Grizzlies booted their star big men. Portland’s still pushing, but the Jazz and the rest of the pack are too far behind.

“Even without Jimmy (Butler), we can make a playoff run,” Kerr said. “The ceiling is absolutely lower. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say we can be as good as we were with Jimmy, there’s no way.”

But if their spirited come-from-behind 101-97 win over the Phoenix Suns, mere hours after one of the roughest trade deadlines in recent memory, both emotionally and broadly, is an indication of how they’re attacking the final 30-something games of the season, they’ll go down swinging.

Because in some ways, Porzingis’s intriguing upside does provide some hope. And the leaps of fan-favorites like Gui Santos, Pat Spencer, and Moses Moody have been significant. Those three had their fingerprints all over the 16-2 run to shock the Suns. And sure, the Stephen Curry show will always be a must-watch. While sidelined with runner’s knee currently, the euphoria and joy Curry exuded after the Warriors’ gutsy win show he’s as locked in as ever with this team.

There’s honor in fighting bravely as the ship goes down. For as bleak as it seemed in the immediate wake of the trade deadline, the Warriors showed they don’t have to go meekly into their impending purgatory.

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