Mike Dunleavy Jr. has not gotten off to the best start as the general manager of the Golden State Warriors. Since taking over for Bob Myers, Dunleavy has followed up the most successful era in franchise history by failing to reach the postseason in two of his three seasons.
This isn't all Dunleavy's fault. He inherited an aging dynasty with few pathways for re-tooling. However, he has managed to earn himself a rather infamous reputation.
Maybe Mike Dunleavy Jr. is actually Danny Ainge's son
Ever since they lost out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, there have been rumblings that the team's most iconic player, Stephen Curry, may soon be on his way out, as the future first ballot Hall of Famer could seek a better opportunity at a fifth championship to finish off his playing days.
Dunleavy himself recently mentioned that if Curry wants out, the organization will honor his request. However, he believes that the two sides will ultimately reach an extension that allows Curry to finish his career with the only team he's ever known.
Dunleavy knows that the greatest shooter of all-time is still very much in the business of winning. He's also noted that, while they haven't been able to pull off any major moves, the team has been doing all that they can.
“We’re super aggressive,” Dunleavy said. “If people knew the cold calls I made offering a lot of stuff for players, I think they’d realize how hard we’re trying. And frankly, it’s not as much the guys that end up getting moved. There’s a lot of guys that we really, really value that don’t get moved, and that’s probably because those teams (feel the same). I think we call on the guys we really think can make an impact and change our direction. But that’s the nature of every offseason, every trade deadline. That’s the way it works. I think as we get into this season, the trade deadline, the Dec. 15 date, I’m confident in our ability to do deals if we need to based on a couple things.”
I'm sure that Dunleavy is being sincere. He and the Warriors' front office have done everything that they can to improve this team around Curry and Draymond Green, including trading for Jimmy Butler III in 2025 (who is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL).
However, you can't read that quote without getting flashbacks to Danny Ainge -- the current CEO of the Utah Jazz and, more famously, the long-time president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics.
During his time with the Celtics, Ainge was known for always being in the mix for the latest available star -- only to (almost) always come up short. Back in 2021, The Ringer even published an article poking fun at the phenomenon titled, "The Almost Ainge All-Stars."
Now, it feels like Dunleavy is following in his footsteps. Whether it be James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Lauri Markkanen, Paul George, Jaren Jackson Jr., etc., the Warriors always seem to be the bridesmaid but never the lovely lady walking down the isle.
This has become a frustrating trend for fans. They think their team is cooked, get their hopes up when it seems like the team is about to get someone who can rejuvenate their team, only to end up watching that player land somewhere else. Rinse and repeat.
For the sake of one of the most influential teams of this century, hopefully, that viscious cycle ends soon. Because if it doesn't, Curry may just get tired of waiting.
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