With the future of longtime general manager Bob Myers officially on shaky ground, the Golden State Warriors may already have a Plan B in place.
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Warriors are expected to make an internal promotion in the event that Myers, whose contract officially expires in June, leaves the team. The report adds that ex-NBA player Mike Dunleavy Jr. has been pegged by many as the natural successor to Myers (with outward signs emerging that the Warriors may be grooming Dunleavy for the GM position).
All eyes are on Golden State’s offseason now that they have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. A few months ago, Myers, the architect of the Warriors’ dynasty who has held his position for over a decade, was already rumored to be considering opportunities elsewhere.
The Athletic’s report notes that Warriors owner Joe Lacob wants to retain Myers but that there’s an acknowledgement that Myers may end up walking, even if Lacob reaches Myers’ desired figure in contract negotiations. You can read their full reporting on the situation in Golden State here.
Dunleavy Jr, the son of former NBA Coach of the Year Mike Dunleavy, was originally a Warriors first-round draft pick in 2002 and spent the first five seasons of his pro career with the team. After retiring as a player in 2017, Dunleavy Jr. returned to Golden State as a pro scout and was then promoted to assistant general manager less than a year later. The 42-year-old then got promoted again to vice president of basketball operations in 2021, and the Warriors went on to win the NBA title the very next year.
Whether Myers stays or goes is just one of the big questions facing Golden State heading into summer. But even if Dunleavy’s presence might provide some clarity with one of those questions, other wholesale changes may still be coming to the Bay Area.
