Looking back at three major roster decisions that defined the Golden State Warriors dynasty

When we look back at how the Golden State Warriors built their dynasty, it seems rather organic. They drafted the Splash Brothers, signed Andre Iguodala, put Draymond Green at center and eventually lured Kevin Durant to Oakland. However, the road to creating this superteam was littered with potholes that could have derailed it at any moment.

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It’s easy to forget how the Warriors face several roster dilemmas throughout the 2010s and managed to make the right decision at every turn. In hindsight, these moves are no-brainers, but they were all tough choices at the time.

This doesn’t even factor in Golden State’s bold move to replace Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr after the team had just won 51 games in 2013-14. Even players were skeptical of that decision when it happened. Of course, it all worked out for the best.

The team went to the NBA Finals six consecutive years, winning four titles in the process. There is no way in hell we get a Golden State Warriors dynasty had they not nailed these three roster decisions which seem ridiculous today. Somewhere out there in an alternate universe, the Dubs botch these choices and crap out.

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The three major roster decisions that defined the Golden State Warriors dynasty

Steph Curry or Monta Ellis?

Keeping Monta Ellis would have made sense…in 2013

In 2021, this question seems stupid, but it was extremely valid in 2011-12. Let’s start with two obvious points. First, nobody seemed to know what Steph Curry’s final form would be in the NBA. Very few, if any, people were predicting him to be the head of a Golden State Warriors dynasty. After his first two seasons in the league, there were still concerns about his durability, size and role.

Second, it was obvious that Curry and Monta Ellis could not co-exist in the same starting lineup. While talk of a beef between the two guards is overblown, a backcourt featuring the pair was too small and a defensive disaster. Golden State had just drafted Klay Thompson who seemed like a much better fit.

Ellis was a known commodity. The Warriors fanbase adored him and he was among the best pure scorers in basketball. And let’s remember, this was a time when we all loved us some high-volume scorers. Plus, he was only 26-years old and in his prime. Curry was 23 during the 2011-12 campaign.

There was a case to be made for keeping either player, but everyone knew one had to go. The overlap in skills and defensive deficiencies were clear to anyone who watched Ellis and Curry play together. Ultimately, sides started to form. Team Monta may have even had more support than Team Steph.

In March of 2012, Golden State shipped Ellis, Kwame Brown and Ekpe Udoh to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. According to Bogut, the Bucks could have gotten Curry if they wanted although Larry Riley, the Warriors General Manager at the time, said it was a bargaining tactic more than anything else.

Whatever the case, this roster decision was the launching point for the Golden State Warriors dynasty. But it wasn’t as cut and dry as you’d think.

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Doing something with David Lee

The Warriors highest-paid player in 2014-15 and Steph Curry

Here’s a fun fact for you. David Lee was the highest-paid player on the 2014-15 Golden State team that won the NBA Title. Obviously, that was less than ideal.

I’ll never forget listening to Damon Bruce talk about David Lee on KNBR 680 after the Warriors game against the Indiana Pacers on January 7, 2015. I was on my way back to San Francisco International Airport after visiting my family for the holidays and for some reason, his take on this topic always stuck with me.

Essentially, Lee did not fit with what Steve Kerr wanted to do. He slowed the team down and wasn’t all that effective. On the other hand, the power forward was the first Golden State All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997 and a lot of people, Bruce included, didn’t want to simply dump onto some hopeless franchise with cap space (*cough Sacramento Kings *cough). If they couldn’t offer him a golden parachute, then it was better to keep the former Florida Gator around.

The Warriors did find a soft landing spot for Lee and his $15 million contract in Boston although the Celtics would waive him halfway through the 2015-16 season. He would sign with the Dallas Mavericks shortly thereafter but was out of the league by 2017.

Golden State ended up executing one of the most underrated salary dumps in NBA history with Lee. They received Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb for him but would flip the former to the Philadelphia 76ers along with a token pick swap that never conveyed.

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Harrison Barnes or Kevin Durant?

Harrison Barnes Kevin Durant
There is a universe where Barnes stays with Golden State and Durant goes elsewhere

Another question that seems insanely stupid today. But Golden State loved Harrison Barnes. They even tanked to secure him in the 2013 NBA Draft. But things changed after the team’s failure to win it all in 2016.

Now let’s make one thing clear here. Kevin Durant was always the Warriors first option in the offseason. Those pitching to keep Barnes were the media and fans who felt he was younger and still had a lot of room to develop. There were also questions about just how exactly Durant would fit alongside Curry, Thompson and Green.

Additionally, you could have made a strong case for Golden State running things back after winning 73 games and losing in the finals to LeBron James despite leading the series 3-1. Given how much the team had already invested in Barnes and knowing how much of a distraction adding Durant would be, this wasn’t a simple decision.

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The alternate universe Warriors

The Golden State Warriors dynasty as we know it today could have looked a lot different. You can make a strong case that they win the championship in 2014-15 with Monta Ellis instead of Steph Curry. After that, things get really dodgy.

For starters, Ellis’ play fell off a cliff in 2015-16 and he was out of the NBA after the following season. Even if the Warriors still managed to trade away Lee upon winning that first title, there is no road back to the Finals with a roster built around Ellis.

That means Kevin Durant doesn’t make his way to Oakland which causes Barnes to stick around. The Warriors starting line in 2016-17 would have been Ellis, Klay Thompson, Barnes, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia. Maybe they end up starting Andre Iguodala but it’s not a championship caliber team either way.

Speaking of Iguodala, he probably doesn’t sign a contract extension in 2017 and the Warriors are forced into free agency. Perhaps they make a run at Chris Paul who ended up with the Rockets that summer. If not, their best option would have been George Hill or a low-cost veteran like Rajon Rondo or Derrick Rose.

Let’s say the Warriors keep Curry but don’t find a taker for Lee’s contract. That causes a ton of salary cap headaches which impacts Green’s extension and the ability to sign Durant without losing Iguodala. They may have lost Barnes anyway had they not been able to match his offer sheet in this scenario.

Each of these major roster decisions defined the Golden State Warriors dynasty because they made the right move at the right time. Had the team done anything different, it would have derailed the whole thing.