Nba Pundit Wants Mike Dunleavy ‘on The Clock' For Warriors' Lackluster Offseason
NBA pundit wants Mike Dunleavy ‘on the clock' for Warriors' lackluster offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Barring unexpected moves, the Warriors will run it back with a mostly similar roster to last season’s 37-45 10th-seed team.
And that development isn’t sitting well with Dub Nation and members of the national media.
Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins is the latest to criticize Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy for not improving the roster around two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry.
“At some point, we can’t just keep talking about them trying to go fishing and they throwing the bait out in the water,” Perkins said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday. “We’re talking about Steph Curry here. Like, you got to get it done. You just traded away Jonathan Kuminga last season, a guy that you drafted in the lottery that they gave up on, and now all of a sudden you’re sitting here while the West is getting better, while the San Antonio Spurs, who just went to the NBA Finals, added Tobias Harris to their roster without giving up anything. Oklahoma City Thunder is gonna be there. LaMelo Ball just went to Minnesota. Everyone is making powerful moves while Mike Dunleavy is just sitting there on his hands. And at some point, he has to be on the clock. The pressure is on him to do right by Steph.
“[Brian Windhorst], you just highlighted that Steph Curry is gonna be 39 years old next year. Or this season? Like, like Steph is not just sitting around saying I wanna play for fun. This man played at an All-NBA level last season and somehow with Draymond [Green] opting out, with all these things happening, you couldn’t win the battle of LeBron James and land him to Golden State and you get beat, you let Bob Myers beat you out again, like winning again in Philadelphia. It’s not a good look.
“And right now when you look at this Warriors team … they’re a play-in team that’s going to make it to the postseason. So when I look at the Golden State Warriors, Mike Dunleavy gotta do something. Joe Lacob has to put him on the clock and apply pressure on him to upgrade this roster.”
“We’re talking about Steph Curry here, like you gotta get it done.“@KendrickPerkins comments on Golden State needing to step up after not signing LeBron James ???? pic.twitter.com/jO6nDpTRUp
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 29, 2026
The Warriors pursued 22-time NBA All-Star LeBron James but missed out on him when he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Golden State reportedly was interested in acquiring All-Star forward Jaylen Brown but balked at the Boston Celtics’ asking price.
And as the Warriors tried to convince James to join Curry, there were reports that acquiring center Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards would help sway LeBron.
But as ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported Thursday, the Warriors “never seriously engaged” the Wizards for Davis due to their reluctance to part with Jimmy Butler and numerous first-round draft picks.
Instead, the Warriors stood pat, bringing back Green, guard De’Anthony Melton and centers Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Charles Bassey.
The only additions to the roster are No. 11 overall draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg and second-round pick Lajae Jones.
As much as the Warriors like Lendeborg, who won NBA Summer League MVP while helping the team win the Vegas championship, it’s unlikely that he will be enough to push Golden State from a play-in team to a Western Conference playoff contender.
So, the Warriors, with a few depth roster moves left to make, will head into the 2026-27 NBA season hoping for a healthy Curry and waiting for Butler and Moses Moody to return from respective knee injuries.
That game plan isn’t inspiring confidence from Perkins and members of Dub Nation.
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