Dub Hub: Mike Dunleavy Jr. says Warriors in ‘much better shape' this offseason with Jimmy Butler on the roster
In today's Dub Hub:
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. says the roster is in 'much better shape' with Jimmy Butler on the team heading into the offseason.
In the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, Draymond Green admits he 'lost' his matchup against Minnesota's Julius Randle.
Thunder beat Nuggets in Game 7 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is optimistic about the team's direction heading into the offseason. During his exit interview, Dunleavy pointed to the stability of having another proven star in Jimmy Butler alongside franchise cornerstones Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—highlighting how much more confident he feels compared to the uncertainty the team faced last summer.
Advertisement
After the Warriors' season ended in a second-round elimination at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team now shifts its focus to retooling their roster for next season. Golden State is expected to take an aggressive approach this summer, but with its veteran core in place, there's a renewed sense of clarity about the team's path forward.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, May 19th:
Warriors News:
Warriors value Kuminga, but say his return 'a 2-way street' | ESPN
'We value JK,' Dunleavy said. 'I think he had a resilient season. ... As far as bringing him back next season, I think it's something we're very interested in doing because, when I look at the things JK does well, in terms of getting to the rim, finishing, getting fouled, these are things we greatly need. We know he can bring those to the table. It's not hypothetical.'
Dunleavy added: 'For that reason, we'll try to bring him back, but you've got to have those conversations. You've got to figure it out. It's a two-way street in terms of creating — getting a new contract and all of that. So, we'll see where it goes.'
Steve Kerr doesn't plan on changing the Warriors' offensive system around Steph Curry anytime soon
Draymond Green admits he 'lost' his matchup against Minnesota's Julius Randle
Giannis showers Steph with praise in series of social media posts | NBC Sports Bay Area
Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he's a big fan of Warriors superstar Steph Curry.
At this point, who isn't?
The Bucks superstar, who reportedly is 'open' to leaving Milwaukee via trade this offseason, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to do a Q&A and praised Curry on numerous occasions in response to fans' questions.
Warriors offseason musings: Commit to Jonathan Kuminga, or set him free | San Francisco Chronicle
Nice work by Chronicle history-digger Peter Hartlaub, unearthing photos and quotes from Curry's first days as a Warrior, back in 2009. Said the smooth-cheeked and underfed Curry back then: 'I'm confident the Warriors are going to help me get bigger and stronger.' … Funny, it turned out to be the other way around.
NBA News:
Thunder conquer nerves to topple Nuggets and reach West finals | ESPN
'I was nervous, to be honest,' Gilgeous-Alexander said after scoring a game-high 35 points in the Thunder's 125-93 win over the Nuggets to give the franchise its first conference finals appearance since 2016. 'Just knowing what was on the line. ...To know if you don't bring your A-game, it could all be over. But I think that nervousness motivated me.'
NBA Playoff Bracket for the Conference Finals
Haynes Briefs: Giannis Antetokounmpo meeting with Bucks next week to discuss the team's direction
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Valkyries excite, but drop franchise opener
It may have ended in a loss, but it was still a fun, exciting, and ultimately successful franchise debut for the Valkyries. They'll look for the first win in franchise history on Wednesday, when they host the Washington Mystics at 7:00 p.m. PT.
Advertisement
Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
More from goldenstateofmind.com:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"Superstars at 25 don't get traded"- Draymond Green recalls getting confused between Doncic trade and Warriors landing Kevin Durant
"Superstars at 25 don't get traded"- Draymond Green recalls getting confused between Doncic trade and Warriors landing Kevin Durant originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Luka Doncic trade will certainly be a topic of discussion for years to come. A decision that shocked the entire NBA ecosystem, with the Dallas Mavericks shipping the Slovenian talent to the Los Angeles Lakers after a great seven-year association. Advertisement Such was the magnitude of the trade that transpired on February 2nd, 2025, and everyone had a story to tell. However, Draymond Green's reaction was certainly a little amusing as the four-time champion narrated his episode on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Recounting the night of the trade announcement, Draymond revealed he was at a Warriors charity poker tournament. Ten minutes before the news broke out, the 2016 DPOY recalled talking with owner Joe Lacob, who told him about almost having Kevin Durant in the Bay Area. "So we're at this tournament and I go sit down and about 15 minutes later, Steph yells, 'Draymond did you see the trade.' I go, 'It happened?' Steph goes, 'Wait, who?' and I said, 'Oh never mind, Nobody,"' revealed Draymond, who assumed Lacob had pulled off the Durant trade with the Phoenix Suns. Nonetheless, learning about Luka's trade, the defensive savant said the following. Advertisement "I couldn't believe it. Superstars at 25 don't get traded. Luka is a megastar. Just coming off the NBA Finals. You just don't see that in the NBA. I immediately wondered when I had to be next, it's coming for me soon," Dray told host Jimmy. The Warriors star was coming off a second round exit against the Timberwolves but had managed to make the 2025 NBA All-Defensive First Team. Pursuing "The Slim Reaper" Looking back to the 2024-25 trade deadline, the Warriors were keen on reuniting with Durant. During his three-year stint in the Bay Area, the 6'11" forward helped the franchise secure two championship banners, earning Finals MVP honors both times. Hence, GSW's front office was trying to work out the best deal with the Suns. But, before things could be finalized, Durant had categorically disagreed with a homecoming in the Bay. The fifteen-time All-Star was done with his fair share of scrutiny. As the deadline appeared closer, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and management found themselves in a lurch. Ultimately, they decided to go ahead with Jimmy Butler's gamble, which turned out to be a beneficial move for the most part. Advertisement Related: Luc Longley on why he and Michael Jordan couldn't get along: "Mike was doing what he did to rookies, what he was doing to me" Blockbuster trade on the cards for the Warriors? With free agency not far away, there has been a lot of chatter around the Dubs making a strong push for a star player. Since winning their 2022 championship, Coach Steve Kerr and his crew have not had the desired success for various reasons. Blessed to have a generational talent in Curry, the management cannot afford to let go of his championship window. Entering his 17th season, the two-time MVP has shown no signs of slowing down. Hence, given his invaluable contributions to the franchise and the city of San Francisco, the front office owes him a shot at his fifth title. Not to forget his legacy, known as the face that changed the game. Advertisement Related: "What is this? Some Brazilian fake news?" - Goran Dragic revealed his initial reaction to the Luka Doncic trade This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Twins notes: Bailey Ober's mechanical mess, calling up Travis Adams, ‘sickos' mopping up
MINNEAPOLIS — Bailey Ober has always succeeded despite being one of the softest-tossing pitchers in a league increasingly dominated by big-time velocity, averaging just 91.6 mph with his fastball while posting a 3.76 ERA in 540 1/3 career innings for the Minnesota Twins since 2021. But even by those modest standards, Ober's velocity has been way down as of late. His fastball averaged 89.3 mph in Friday night's 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, his lowest mark in 101 career starts. And his next-lowest fastball velocity came in his last start, six days earlier, when he averaged 89.6 mph. Advertisement Ober also struggled with diminished velocity in spring training, attributing it to his mechanics being out of whack, an especially big challenge for the 6-foot-9 right-hander. And now he's again battling his mechanics for the past several starts, saying Friday that he feels healthy. 'My mechanics just feel not good right now,' Ober said. 'Not very smooth, and disjointed. I'm trying to work on that. I've been putting a lot of time in, and work, throughout the weeks, especially after my previous start where it really ticked down.' Addison Barger is on another PLANET right now 😳 — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 7, 2025 Ober still managed to get through seven innings against the Blue Jays, but he allowed five runs, including two homers, and struck out just four batters. It's his fifth consecutive start with four strikeouts or fewer. He'd previously never had more than three such starts in a row. 'I feel like the biggest thing is my stuff diminished after the third inning,' Ober said. 'Velo dropped and the margin for error was tighter because I wasn't able to have my best stuff going the second and third time through the order. I was able to throw strikes and go seven.' Ober struck out 25.6 percent of batters faced through his first four seasons, including a career-high 26.2 percent last year, but his strikeout rate is down to a career-low 18.2 percent this year. And the swing-and-miss rates on all four of Ober's go-to pitches have dropped substantially compared with 2024. It's a credit to Ober's control and adaptability that he's kept his ERA (3.78) under 4.00 despite declining velocity and whiffs, but it's also worrisome for a 29-year-old with no known health issues. And the Twins will need Ober to get back on track with Pablo López out eight to 12 weeks with a shoulder injury. Advertisement 'I was able to figure it out for a little while at the beginning of the season,' Ober said. 'Up until mainly the last two or three starts. When something is off, you revert back to the way you were throwing. That's why we're seeing the lower velos. I'm just trying to work through it and stay healthy.' Having already turned to Zebby Matthews and David Festa to fill spots in their starting rotation, the Twins dipped into the minors for another young arm Friday, calling up Travis Adams from Triple-A St. Paul as bullpen help. It's the 2021 sixth-round draft pick's first taste of the big leagues. Adams was added to the 40-man roster in November to shield him from the Rule 5 draft and ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Twins farm system on my preseason top 40 list, which noted the career-long starter 'could be a logical candidate for a bullpen conversion.' Sure enough, the 25-year-old right-hander made the switch to the bullpen in St. Paul this season, posting a 3.43 ERA and 37-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 42 innings spent mostly as a long reliever. That's the role Adams figures to fill with the Twins, soaking up multiple low-leverage innings at a time. 'We've altered the way he's been used this year,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'Slightly shorter outings and seeing how that plays over the course of a season. … When guys get called up, the vast majority of the time early on, they're going to have to give us some length. And he can do that.' Get to know the newest Major Leaguer! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 6, 2025 Most starter-to-reliever converts pare down the pitch mix and add velocity in shorter, max-effort outings, but that hasn't been the case with Adams. He still has the deep bag of a starter, regularly throwing six offerings, and he averaged 53 pitches per appearance with the Saints. 'Not a whole lot of difference in pitch mix,' Adams said. 'Basically, it's just starting. Instead of starting at the beginning of the game, you're just going out there in the middle, toward the end. … Depending on the situation, eat up some innings. I just need to be ready for whenever my name is called.' Advertisement Adams leans heavily on a 92-95 mph fastball and mid-80s slider, along with a cutter and changeup thrown mostly to lefties and a sinker thrown mostly to righties. It's an approach geared more toward grounders than whiffs, but Adams has shown some additional swing-and-miss potential in relief. To make room for Adams, the Twins optioned Kody Funderburk to St. Paul, leaving them without a left-hander in the bullpen. But that could be short-lived, as lefty Danny Coulombe began a rehab assignment Friday with the Saints. Coulombe has been out since May 5 with a strained left forearm. Position player Jonah Bride made his big-league pitching debut Thursday in Sacramento, mopping up for the final two innings of the Twins' blowout loss to the Athletics. He allowed two runs, but more importantly threw 21 of 38 pitches for strikes and saved some wear and tear on the actual bullpen. Bride is the Twins' eighth position player to pitch in the past five seasons, joining Willi Castro, Willians Astudillo, Nick Gordon, Kyle Farmer, Jordan Luplow, Jermaine Palacios and Matt Wallner. Castro leads the way with six pitching appearances in that time, but the Twins wanted another option. How did they settle on Bride, who'd never pitched in a professional game? 'He's done it before, he told me,' Baldelli joked. 'I said, 'Have you done this before?' He goes 'yeah.' Maybe he hasn't. Maybe that was totally made up.' In fairness, Bride did pitch twice in the Northwoods League — an amateur summer league for college players — when he was 19 years old in 2015. And that's more than enough qualification to soak up meaningless innings. 'After the first inning, I asked him if he was good for another,' Baldelli said. 'He started to tell me all the things he was going to do. And I just stopped listening. I said, 'Just keep doing what you're doing, you're doing fine.'' Jonah Bride was tossing frisbees out there 😅 — MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2025 Baldelli has called on a position player to take the mound just twice in 63 games this season, because the Twins' combination of very good pitching and below-average hitting has led to lots of close, competitive games, with Thursday's being a rare exception. 'I'm petitioning our bullpen to throw in a few bucks every time we have a position player pitch,' Baldelli said. 'A little thank you and pat on the back. Trust me, no position player, or only a couple of sickos, really want to go out there and pitch. It's not that comfortable unless they're just a little cuckoo.' Advertisement Kody Clemens, another 'sicko' position player who also happens to be the son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, was next in line to pitch Thursday. Clemens pitched 12 times in the majors before joining the Twins and keeps one of his father's old gloves for the special occasions.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Pacers will be the underdog in the NBA Finals
Indiana Pacers will be the underdog in the NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After beating the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers have punched their ticket to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, where they will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement Neither team has ever won an NBA championship, and both teams boast fast offenses, deep benches, and talented defenses. Despite both teams being from smaller markets, it's expected to be a series for the ages. While both teams play "pure" basketball, on paper, the Thunder boast more talent than Indiana and are massive favorites. According to FanDuel, the Thunder have -700 odds to win the series compared to the Pacers' +500 odds. The Thunder were long the best team in the NBA this season, and boast MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and elite defenders in Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Chet Holmgren. While Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton have cemented themselves as superstars, the talent gap is huge, and one stat in particular highlights that. Advertisement "The Thunder went 2-0 against the Pacers in the regular season, winning by an average of 13.5 points," outlined ESPN's Molly Qerim. "Overall, the Thunder went 29-1, that's unbelievable, against the Eastern Conference this season. The best record by any team against the opposite conference since conferences were established in 1970." OKC dismantled their Eastern Conference competition, losing only one game to the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. While Indiana may be a massive underdog, it's not a new position, as they were not favored in either of the last two series, but were able to dominate both the Cavs and Knicks. Don't count the Pacers out. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: Key to Indiana Pacers Beating OKC Thunder in NBA Finals Revealed Related: Pascal Siakam's Awkward Interaction With Indiana Reporter Goes Viral This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
