Now that we know....

1. ....that Curry is our point, this must mean that Ellis is our 2 of the future. Trading him would essentially wipe-out the value of drafting Curry. Why would we want to replace Ellis when we can pair his superior slashing sklls with a better distributing and 3 point shooting version of himself?

2. ....that Randolph is going to be a beast and that Morrow can bomb from behind the arc, this must mean that the front office wants to hold onto them. Couple this with #3 below, and the implication is a front office that must focus on what the team will look like in 2011-12. I know this sucks for us Dubs fans who are starved for wins now. But the trading of JRich and letting go of BD sealed this fate. It's not the worst place to be, to have talent like Ellis, Curry, Randolph, Morrow, and Biedrins. But that talent is not going to be in it's prime for another three years. WE NEED TO FACE THIS REALITY. So if we're too gunshy to trade these guys, or if we can't get equal market value for them (which I think is the case), then the shrewdest move would be to stick with them, let them develop, and then either lock them up again or shop them to get maximum value later.

3. ....that last year's terrible front office shenanigans have crippled us in the trading and free-agent market, this must mean that we have no choice but to stand pat and develop our young talent. The Ellis moped disaster and alienation of the team's saviors in Baron Davis and Chris Mullin, have really shifted our reputation around the league. It's true, they were the centerpieces of the We Believe magic in '07. They were the reason that many of you probably contribute to this blog. Two years ago we were perceived as an up-and-coming destination, with the best fans in the world and an exciting brand of hoops. Now, why would any free agent want to come to Golden State when he could help resurrect the franchise and be loved by the fans, and still be dropped like a bad habit??!! Enough said.

4. ....that nobody wants Maggette's contract, this must mean that we're locked in with Ellis, Biedrins, Jackson, and Maggette. Not a bad core of contracts, but Maggette's really limits our flexibility. That's ok as long as our young talent develops. Maggette still averaged 18.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg while shooting 46% from the floor. That's a very efficient line for Nellyball. I'd have no problem if Maggette was our 6th man in 2011-12.

So..........

Now that we know all of these things, the team must use the pieces it can trade, and/or the mid-level, to add a player that would help us look our best 2 or 3 years from now. A rugged rebounder is the number one priority. We can block shots, but to add a physical presence that can either come off the bench or start between Randolph and Biedrins against bigger teams, would be huge (no pun intended). A player like McDyess would be great, but he wants to help a team win a championship, same with Marion really. These kinds of players will have a pick between Cleveland, Houston, Boston, etc. They're too old for us anyway. The Warriors, on the other hand, need to be looking at a semi-young player that can board and be around for a while. While I really like Wright, it just doesn't make sense to have him on a team with Randolph and Biedrins. The same goes for Azubuike. I love his game. But we can't have him on a team that already has Ellis, Maggette, and Jackson. These redundancies of skills need to be thinned on this roster.

So................

Now that we know all these things, my sense is that the Warriors should be throwing all of their efforts into acquiring Paul Millsap. He just had his breakout year, and still can be had for a good price. David Lee would also be great but he's a year or two ahead of Millsap, thereby making him impossible for us to get. Once again, established players with options are kind of out of our range. Our glut of young talent should also make our next two or three 1st round picks for sale. The Jazz need cap relief desperately and they're probably stuck with Boozer and Kirilenko (nobody wants those contracts). So why not offer two promising young pieces in Wright and Azubuike, as well as two expiring contracts in Belinelli and Claxton, and then throw in as many 1st round picks as it takes to get Millsap? Claxton's deal is especially sweet because it is covered 80% by insurance, meaning Utah would basically save 4 million for their cap this year as well. Millsap is looking at teams like Oklahoma City. Though Durant is elite, I think we have a better supporting cast, and a more desirable fanbase and location. Why wouldn't he come here if we offered him a good, 4 year/40 million dollar extension? With the limited flexibility and unmovable contracts we have already, locking him up at this price would be our best play.

Assuming we re-sign the appropriate players, this would be our core for the next 4 years:

Curry, Ellis, Randolph, Millsap, Biedrins, Jackson, Maggette, Morrow, Turiaf.

Their last couple years together could be pretty special.