GOOD NEWS: Warriors Star wins the PBWA’s Magic Johnson Award.

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Thursday, May 16th.

• Steph Curry receives the Pro Basketball Writers Association’s Magic Johnson Award
• Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob reflects on Draymond Green’s draft workout in an interview with KRON 4
• The Athletic details the fallout from the Cavaliers’ season after they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Celtics on Wednesday night

Stephen Curry adds another award to his already illustrious career. The Golden State Warriors superstar received the Pro Basketball Writers Association’s Magic Johnson Award; an honor given to the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and professionalism when dealing with media members and fans.

Curry is a two-time winner of the Magic Johnson Award after previously winning it in 2016. The honor comes just days after Curry’s head coach Steve Kerr was awarded the Rudy Tomjanovich Award — the head coaching equivalent of what Curry received on Wednesday.

Related

2 best players Warriors must re-sign in 2024 NBA free agency

The Golden State Warriors are entering an offseason of uncertainty. The last two seasons have proven that they are not title contenders as currently constructed. Perhaps that could signal that trades could be on the horizon in the Bay Area. If the Warriors do make some trades, that would put a bigger emphasis on retaining their players in free agency. There are at least two such members of their roster that qualify and Golden State should make sure they retain them.

Golden State’s biggest question to answer this offseason very well could be what they do with Klay Thompson. Thompson is not the franchise pillar that Steph Curry is but he is close. He’s been there from the beginning and has four championships and a number of big moments under his belt.

Thompson is also still a useful player. He isn’t the defensive ace he was in his prime but his frame allows him to defend multiple positions capably. Thompson is still one of the best shooters in the NBA. His shooting percentages (43.2% from the field and 38.7% from three) were about the same as his career percentages (45.3% and 41.3%). He continues to be a major threat in big moments with his jumper.

But his asking price as a free agent could be what determines his future in the Bay. He is not worth the $40 million he was making this past season. Thompson’s play the last two seasons, especially in the postseason, was far too inconsistent to be making that type of money. Including his performance in the Warriors’ Play-In Tournament loss to Sacramento a month ago, Thompson has shot 85-229 from the field in his previous two postseasons. That number dwindles to a paltry 14-66 (21.21%) over his last five postseason games.

 

Not only has Thompson failed to perform in the postseason lately, but the Warriors also have young players who need minutes. Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and Trayce Jackson-Davis all played well last season. They proved they deserve playing time and need more minutes to accelerate their development.

While that is true, none of them compare to Thompson, even at his advanced age, as a shooter. Golden State’s identity has revolved around Curry, Green, and Thompson all together. It wouldn’t be the same without one of them. If the Warriors and Thompson’s camp can make the financials work, both sides should work to make a deal happen.

Lester Quinones, guard

The majority of the Warriors’ roster from this season is under contract for next season, but there is another player who is poised to become a free agent that they should want to retain. That would be guard Lester Quinones.