Dub Hub: Mike Dunleavy Jr. says there’s no mandate to get under the luxury tax for now

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, April 19th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. discusses the Warriors’ luxury tax situation
• Head coach Steve Kerr wants to see Jonathan Kuminga develop into playing more as a three
• Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans host the Kings on Friday night for final playoff spot in the West

Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. held his end of year press conference on Thursday. Dunleavy reflected on the Warriors’ season and discussed his initial thoughts on the upcoming offseason, which includes the team’s growing luxury tax situation.

Although he says there is no directive from owner Joe Lacob to get under the luxury tax for now, Dunleavy would like the team to be “prudent” in their spending, considering they just paid $400 million for a non-playoff team.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, April 19th:

Warriors News:

Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. says there is no directive to get under the luxury tax

Mike Dunleavy reflects on this past Warriors’ season: “We know clearly what this team was and it wasn’t good enough”

Report: Draymond’s ‘volatility’ has worn on some within Warriors org | NBC Sports Bay Area

Green’s “volatility has worn on several within the [Warriors] organization,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported Wednesday, citing sources.

Lowe reports that the Warriors have a decision to make on Green’s future with the franchise, but the four-time NBA champion has three seasons and $77 million left on the four-year, $100 million contract he signed last summer.

Because of Green’s contract and all his past incidents, Lowe believes it would be “tricky” for the Warriors to obtain “significant future assets” in a potential trade.

Steve Kerr exit interview: Going deep on Draymond Green and the Warriors’ uncertain future | The Athletic

“So what JK is looking at is: How can he make himself more versatile to be available in different lineups? Can he be a three? That’s a big question. And I don’t know the answer to it. I know that as we continue to help him and he continues to learn how to create spacing and get his shot off a little quicker and be more comfortable catch and shooting, but also making the right reads.

Because as a three you handle the ball more. Can he become a better passer? I think he sees the floor pretty well, but his fundamentals in terms of passing have to improve if he’s going to play the three. We need him to play the three if we want to have Trayce out there at the five and Draymond at the four. That ideally would be a great defensive lineup. But we’re not ready for that yet as a team.”

Lowe: Have we already seen the storybook ending for the Warriors? | ESPN

Maybe this is just what happens to aging superstars and aging champions who stick together. The team gets older and more expensive. Young usurpers pass them by. Opportunities to change that course are rare. For the Warriors, their most realistic opportunity to do so was probably the Wiseman pick. They sniffed out the trade market for that pick, sources said, but found it was not enough to lure a major veteran star. They investigated trading down with other teams in the lower half of the top 10 in deals that would have brought back decent veterans but not game-changers, sources said. None of those deals would have altered where Golden State is now.

They have kicked around other win-now trades since that 2022 title run — including talks with the Toronto Raptors about OG Anunoby at the 2023 trade deadline — but never got far on anything meaningful, sources said.

Steph Curry receives his Team USA jersey for the 2024 Paris Olympics

NBA News:

Brandon Ingram has carried the Pelicans before without Zion Williamson. Can he do it again? | The Athletic

Ingram, who does not typically speak to reporters after practice, came in early before Thursday’s session to put in extra work and prepare himself mentally for what’s ahead. According to those in attendance, he played with a focus and a force that ignited everyone on the court once team activities started.

“He looked great,” Green said. “He was playing with force. He was sharp.”

Even though Ingram’s numbers were slightly down this season, his teammates have seen him elevate his game in big moments. They know he’s capable of being the best player on the floor on any given night.

NBA’s exclusive TV rights negotiating window with ESPN, Warner expected to pass without a deal | CNBC

Beginning next week, the NBA will be able to work on agreements for new partners to show packages of games. Amazon, Apple, YouTube TV, Comcast’s NBCUniversal/Peacock and Netflix have all had preliminary conversations with the league expressing potential interest, CNBC reported last year. The exclusive negotiating window with the league’s incumbent partners officially ends Monday.

While no agreement is expected to be announced by the deadline, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery both continue to work on terms with the league, an NBA spokesperson confirmed. The NBA would like to bring in at least one new partner to serve as a flagship streamer, CNBC reported last year. The league wants a “robust” streaming partner that will use marketing and reach to make the games a priority on their platform, CNBC reported.

Kyrie Irving on the Team USA selection process: “I grew up in a time when we actually had to try out for USAB”

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Dub Hub: Andrew Wiggins acknowledges his struggles, admits his season was ’not too good’

Warriors’ small forward Andrew Wiggins was among those reflecting on a season he felt was “not too good” by his personal standards. He endured a rough start to the year, struggling to find a consistent rhythm on either side of the floor. This led to changes in his role where he fluctuated between starting and coming off the bench as the team searched for optimal lineup combinations. Although Wiggins began to find his footing in the second half of the season, his campaign concluded with a career-low average of 13.2 points per game.

A tweet to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.