Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has been wearing out his keyboard this free agent season already, and today he comes with another piece peering into the decision-making of Chris Mullin and the Golden State Warriors.[E]ven if the Warriors played this strategically and not frugally, even if they purposely wanted to get to this point of vast promise and uncertainty ... they've placed themselves in a terribly vulnerable position, no matter what. Things could work out. They could land Elton Brand or trade into a big-time player or wait it out and land somebody incredible in a summer or two. [...]Last summer, we made a big deal of Golden State's plans to get to a basically clean slate (salary-wise) this summer. Mullin set things up to be full of options -- do you pay both Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins? Do you move Baron Davis or extend him? Do you give it another shot to this nucleus or turn young?
But a lot of this isn't in their control. Almost all of it. In the NBA, you want to have some sort of control with your own players–either you keep them or you trade them for more talent–and that has not and will not be happening with the Warriors this summer, unless all breaks perfectly for them.
But no one seemed to see this coming, the scenario in which Mullin's power (power of the dollar) gets jacked by a bold Baron decision and a wacky flux of free agent maneuvering by the Clippers and 76ers. It isn't to say Golden State is doomed -- Ellis, Biedrins and cap space are still chillin' in the cut, so to speak. But the Mighty Sword of Options has been parried, and there looks to be a real chance of the Warriors getting leftovers.
