The Golden State Warriors are still in the middle of their dynasty.
After a few years of missing the playoffs, the Warriors returned to the top of the league last season.
The main reason for their success over the years has been the play of their Big 3.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green built this dynasty from the ground up.
But, all three players are into their 30s now, and Warriors owner Joe Lacob might be looking toward the future.
Joe Lacob on the prospects of the 3 original Warriors retiring with team:
"Bill Walsh…once said, ‘Better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late.’ I’m not saying we’re thinking like that necessarily, but it’s really an important statement." pic.twitter.com/fPGJpDusfR
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) January 8, 2023
It would make sense that all three of these players will retire as Warriors, but would Lacob consider trading them?
For him to even say “Better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late.” is eye-opening.
The championship window for the Warriors is still wide open.
Curry continues to play at an MVP level, Thompson looks fully healed after missing two seasons, and Green continues to dominate as a defender and playmaker.
But, the front office does want to start building a core of young players.
That is why they drafted James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody instead of trading one of them.
It seems like Lacob wants to have the best of both worlds.
Which is a championship-contending team that is also preparing for the future.
The Big 3 of the Warriors deserve a front office that will go all-in.
Golden State could use another veteran off the bench, and trading a young player might be the only way to make that happen.
Lacob should tread very carefully when discussing possibly moving off three of the best players in franchise history.
NEXT: Fans Continue To Wait For A Big Warriors Return