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The Golden State Warriors are slowly figuring things out after struggling to start the season. The Warriors are 7-3 in their last 10 games but are still trying to find ways to win more road games. The latest rumors suggest which players the defending champions are missing from last year's run.
In an interview with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, an anonymous Western Conference executive pointed out that the Warriors are missing pieces off the bench. The executive thinks losing Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica was a big blow to Golden State.
"It has taken them longer to get their bench together than it has most teams," the exec said. "And they had a lot of change from one year to the next. They miss Porter; they miss Bjelica, and they miss Payton most of all."
Due to luxury tax concerns, the Golden State Warriors let Gary Payton II walk out in free agency and sign a three-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Otto Porter Jr. opted to sign a two-year contract with the Toronto Raptors, while Nemanja Bjelica decided to return to Europe.
Payton went from fringe NBA player to lockdown defender and team energizer. Porter was a lottery pick who found a way to be more effective as a role player. Bjelica, a former Euroleague MVP, was a perfect fit to the Warriors' style of play.
Golden State tried to replace Payton and Porter with Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green, respectively. The Warriors were also expecting Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman to take the leap but failed early in the season.
Golden State Warriors players upset with team not re-signing Gary Payton II
The Golden State Warriors made some very tough decisions in the offseason following their championship win. The 2022 Warriors were the most expensive team in NBA history. With contract extensions due to several key players, the front office had to make choices.
Despite losing role players in free agency, the Warriors had a pretty successful summer with extensions given to Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Kevon Looney received a new deal, while reinforcements were brought in.
However, an anonymous Western Conference executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports that some Warriors players were unhappy that Gary Payton II was not re-signed.
"If there is anything that the guys on that team, around that team, are upset with, it is letting Payton go, letting him get paid somewhere else like he did," the executive said. "Everyone understands that with the (luxury) tax; it was really tough to bring him back, but they could have kept him and let Looney walk because, in theory, it would be easier to replace a big guy."
