Fansided

10 best NBA front offices

By John Buhler

Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti watches college basketball between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti watches college basketball between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) pose for a photo during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) pose for a photo during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

41. . West. Pacific. Golden State Warriors. 3. player

Were the Golden State Warriors lucky or did they create their own luck? Almost certainly the latter. Yes, few expected Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to become the best three-point shooters of their generation, but ever since Joe Lacob bought the team, Golden State has rarely made a bad move in their front office.

General manager Bob Myers had one the best NBA Drafts in recent memory in 2012 by taking Harrison Barnes in the mid-lottery range and both Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli in the second round. Barnes is now with Dallas, but only by Golden State’s choice.

It’s an easy choice to take Durant over Barnes and the Warriors did just that this summer. Green is a top 15 player in the league. Ezeli was an interesting project, but he’s now with the Portland Trail Blazers, as Myers drafted another Vanderbilt center to replace him this summer in Damian Jones.

Golden State just seems to have a better feel of when to make calibrations to the roster than frankly any team in recent years. Replacing Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr wasn’t an easy decision to make, but has proved to be the right one. Getting Andre Iguodala to come off the bench ultimately made them champions in 2015. Even taking a chance on presumably broken point guard Shaun Livingston has been to Golden State’s boon.

The Lacob/Myers/Kerr triumvirate has made Golden State capable of being the NBA’s next great dynasty. While the Warriors fell short of winning back-to-back NBA Finals and a chance at claiming the right to the greatest team ever in 2015-16, Golden State is the presumed favorites to win it all in 2017.

Next summer is going to be potentially terrifying for the Warriors, as Curry, Iguodala, and potentially Durant will all hit 2017 NBA free agency. However, the Warriors now always seem to be thinking two or three steps ahead. They’ll navigate a harsh free agency period next summer because of their great foresight. In the meantime, they can enjoy winning 2016 NBA free agency because they pried Durant away from rival Oklahoma City.

Next: 2. Miami Heat.

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