Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly not expected to offer Draymond Green a maximum contract extension when he becomes eligible Aug. 3.

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic also reported that "there isn't any current traction on any type of extension" with a week remaining before Green is eligible for a new deal.

Green will make $25.8 million next season and has a $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season. He is eligible for an extension of up to $138.4 million over four years.

According to the report, Green believes he's deserving of the full maximum available to him. It's possible he'd be willing to explore his options outside of Golden State in free agency should the Warriors balk at giving him the long-term deal he desires.

The Warriors are in a financial crunch with the cost of their already expensive roster about to get even steeper. Green, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are all heading into what could be the final year of their contracts. A rookie contract extension for Poole would take his $3.7 million salary for 2022-23 and likely multiply it by six or seven times—and then multiply it again when factoring in the Warriors' luxury-tax penalties.

Golden State paid an NBA-record $346 million for its roster last season when factoring in luxury-tax penalties and player salaries. Warriors governor Joe Lacob told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami this month that the team is pushing the limits of what it can spend.

That means something will have to give regarding player extensions. The group could decide to take less to stay together, but it's more likely the Warriors make seismic changes to their roster to keep expenses in check.

Green has been increasingly open about players viewing themselves as businessmen. As he approaches what will likely be the last big-money contract of his career, he could take the opportunity to maximize his earnings.

That may lead him to a new home outside Golden State.

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green wants basketball fans to stop comparing eras with different styles of play.

But he also wants them to know his 2017 Warriors squad would have no trouble with Michael Jordan's '98 and '96 Chicago Bulls teams even if that's, you know, comparing eras and bringing some debate to the table:

Debates involving the current era of NBA stars and Jordan are nothing new. After all, the question of who is the greatest player of all time between His Airness and LeBron James has been argued ad nauseam, and it is natural to compare the recent Warriors dynasty with the Bulls one of the 1990s.

The 1995-96 Bulls won an NBA-record 72 games only for the 2015-16 Warriors to break the record with 73 wins. The biggest difference, though, is that the Chicago team won the championship, while the Golden State team lost to James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

It is notable, then, that Green said the 2017 Warriors would be the ones to defeat MJ's Bulls since that is the team that added Kevin Durant and went on to win the first of back-to-back titles.

The styles would certainly be different with Golden State spacing the floor and launching threes and Chicago relying on Jordan's individual brilliance and physicality. Perhaps the biggest question is what role Steve Kerr would play considering he was a sharpshooting guard for the Bulls and the head coach of the Warriors.

Perhaps Green should ask his coach to weigh in on the debate since he is so well-versed on both sides.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry looks to get an edge wherever he can on the court, and that meticulous level of preparation extends off of it as well.

Curry told Complex's Zion Olojede he sought some guidance ahead of hosting this year's ESPY Awards:

When it comes to the hosting gig, obviously I'm nervous and excited. I don't really know what to expect. I actually tapped into Drake and Peyton Manning on what it's like, but I think once I get out there, I'm just going to have fun. I'll be prepared, I'm looking for the opportunity to be on that stage. I've been there many times, but I want to see the other side of what hosting is like.

While the two-time MVP didn't tip his hand as to what he'll be bringing to the table, he told Olojede it's important to have a "surprise element," and fans should expect some "good jokes."

Manning famously made a cutting joke at Kevin Durant's expense at the 2017 ESPYs, referencing his move to the Warriors.

Maybe the legendary quarterback suggested to Curry to push the envelope a bit when he's on stage.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry continues to climb the ranks of the greatest of all time, but he doesn't concern himself with any rankings.

Curry gave his thoughts on the ongoing debate to Zion Olojede of Complex:

I mean it’s for fans and for all the 'experts', I ain't even want to call them experts anymore but the talking heads that cover our game and it's their job to try to stir up drama when it comes to whose lists, whose rankings, who's the best currently and all that type of stuff. I think anybody who knows basketball knows that this is the way we talk about in terms of talking real basketball: there's a shortlist of guys in the league that every team would want and there's a shortlist of guys that impact winning and have done it consistently. When you're in that category whether it’s right now or all-time and you have the respect of your peers, that's the conversations we want to be having. Everybody's list is different, that's the beauty in it. We got 10 people and they'll have 10 different top lists. You'll crack one of them and let those conversations be what they are.

The 34-year-old won his fourth NBA title with the Warriors this season, taking home Finals MVP for the first time.

It adds to an individual resume that includes eight All-Star selections, two MVP awards and two scoring titles. He is also the all-time leader in made three-pointers with 3,117, passing Ray Allen last season.

Curry was named one of the top 75 players in NBA history during the 75th anniversary celebration last year, but he is in a much more exclusive group after his latest title run.

The guard is certainly headed to the Hall of Fame after his career comes to an end, although he'll let others debate exactly where he ranks among the best all-time.

He is still defending the 2017 Warriors as the top team in league history.

After saying in January that the squad would "absolutely" beat the 1996 Chicago Bulls, Curry told Olojede that the Warriors could also beat the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.

"Obviously we feel like we can win," Curry said. "I don’t know who would guard Shaq, but I don’t know who would guard me and Klay either. We rockin' with that. And three is better than two."

Fresh off winning his fourth NBA championship and first NBA Finals MVP, Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry backed his team when asked to give his take on a hypothetical series against the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.

In an interview with Complex's Zion Olojede, Curry was asked to pick who would win a seven-game series between the 2016-17 Warriors led by himself, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and the 2000-01 Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal:

"Between the '96 Bulls and the hypotheticals of a seven-game series, the 2001 Lakers and that hypothetical series, or every other hypothetical series that people say we should've lost because of an injury or because of whatever the case may be, those conversations are trivial. But at the end of the day, if you could match up in some alternate universe, us versus the 2001 Lakers, obviously we feel like we can win. I don't know who would guard Shaq, but I don't know who would guard me and Klay either. We rockin' with that. And three is better than two."

Both teams are considered two of the greatest of all time, featuring multiple current or future Hall of Famers, and they both won titles.

While the 2015-16 Warriors set the NBA record for most wins in a single regular season with 73, they shockingly fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors then signed Durant in free agency, making the 2016-17 Dubs one of the most talented squads in NBA history.

They also dominated the league, going 67-15 during the regular season and 16-1 in the playoffs, including a 4-1 series win over the Cavs in the Finals, which concluded with Durant being named NBA Finals MVP.

As for the Lakers, the 2000-01 season marked their second of three consecutive NBA championships on the backs of the superstar duo of Kobe and Shaq.

Of that three-year stretch, 2000-01 was the Lakers' worst campaign in terms of regular-season record at 56-26, but like the 2016-17 Warriors, they lost just one playoff game en route to beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals and winning a championship.

Shaq was named NBA Finals MVP, and he was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs that season, averaging 30.4 points and 15.4 rebounds, while Kobe added 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

To Curry's point, Shaq likely would have feasted on the 2016-17 Warriors since they didn't place much emphasis on protecting the paint and didn't have anyone capable of guarding him.

At the same time, that Warriors team had three of the best shooters ever in Curry, Thompson and Durant, and the Lakers could not have matched them in that regard, as Rick Fox and Derek Fisher were the only Lakers to average better than one three-pointer made per game that season at 1.4 and 1.3, respectively.

By comparison, Curry (4.1), Thompson (3.4) and Durant (1.9) all averaged more trifectas per game from the 2016-17 Warriors.

Both teams were dominant in their own ways, and it is nearly impossible to predict who would come out on top if they played since they had such different styles and played in different eras.

Regardless, they are two of the greatest teams of all time, and they deserve all of the accolades and praise they have received.

A group of old college friends can thank the Golden State Warriors for allowing them to personally witness one of the best golf majors in recent history.

GOLF.com executive editor Alan Bastable got the exclusive scoop from Concordia College alum Andrew Beliveau, who said that he and his friends bankrolled a trip to St. Andrews by betting the Warriors to win this year's NBA title.

Beliveau, who is a big Warriors fan, and his crew take an annual trip every year. The idea this time around was to go to The Open Championship. That obviously would be a pricey endeavor, so the group decided to make some investments in the Dubs a couple of times during the season.

All told, the group won about $30,000 on an overall investment of $5,000-$6,000. A huge chunk of the profit is going to an $18,000 Airbnb at a property across the street from St. Andrews' fabled 18th green.

Beliveau and the crew were pictured sporting Kevon Looney jerseys on site, a proper homage to the team and its starting center.

They couldn't have picked a much better Open Championship to go to, as this one is shaping up to be a classic.

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland are tied atop the leaderboard at 16 under, four strokes better than third-place holders Cameron Young and Cam Smith. It should be a phenomenal duel Sunday between two of golf's top talents.

McIlroy is looking for his first major in eight years. Hovland is seeking the first-ever major of his brief professional career.

McIlroy provided the jaw-dropping moment Saturday with a 27-yard eagle from the 10th greenside bunker.

Hovland posted the field's only bogey-free card. Both he and McIlroy finished with six-under 66 results on moving day.

The friends have a vested interest in McIlroy's chances, as they threw down bets on him winning the Claret Jug. If he's victorious, the friends will have another trip bankrolled, this time to an Ole Miss football game in the fall.

McIlroy and Hovland will tee off Sunday at 9:50 a.m. ET.

Steph Curry isn't just a Splash Brother on the court—he's one on the course as well.

Curry drained a 97-yard approach shot Friday at the 2022 American Century Championship.

The reigning Finals MVP is sitting in a tie for 16th place in the celebrity pro-am event, which features some of the top names in sports and entertainment.

Curry is a regular on the golf course during the offseason, calling the American Century event his "favorite week of the summer."

“It’s just fun,” Curry told reporters. “Beautiful scenery, the venue is amazing. It gives us the space to interact with fans, play golf, compete and bring our families. … It’s my favorite week of the summer.”

With a shot like that, it's not hard to see why he enjoys himself so much.

The Golden State Warriors are rumored to be interested in acquiring disgruntled Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, but it doesn't appear that a reunion is in the cards.

Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported that the Warriors aren't the type of team that would meet Brooklyn's steep asking price.

"With that said, according to multiple sources in the Warriors organization, a reunion is highly unlikely," Thompson wrote. "Nothing about the last three years suggests the Warriors would be willing to pay the price for a KD return."

Durant signed with the Warriors in 2016 and sent shockwaves through the NBA. His addition to a core that included Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green created a juggernaut the rest of the league couldn't keep up with.

Golden State won two titles in Durant's three years on the team, though his torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals derailed the Warriors' chances of a three-peat. Durant became a free agent that summer and chose to sign with the Nets, which hasn't played out the way he expected.

Brooklyn was swept out of the playoffs this season by the Boston Celtics, the Eastern Conference's representative in the Finals. Golden State defeated Boston for the team's fourth title in eight years.

Durant requested to be traded from the Nets last week in another shocking move. Star point guard Kyrie Irving is also likely to be dealt this offseason as well.

Thompson noted that while a trade for Durant is unlikely, the Warriors' locker room leaders would welcome him back to the team if given the opportunity "for the same reason they embraced him in 2016." He revealed that Durant has already been in contact with some of his old teammates.

"The Warriors superstars have been in conversations with Durant," Thompson wrote. "In addition to catching up, the Hall of Fame-bound peers did entertain the idea of a reunion. It was mostly about the stunning nature of it even being possible."

While a Durant trade is the most highly-anticipated event of the NBA offseason, it likely won't happen anytime soon. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that there's "no traction" on any trades involving Durant, and the Nets will take their time to find the right deal.

Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman didn't make an appearance in either of the team's two California Classic games this weekend, but he's reportedly making progress toward a return to the court.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported that Wiseman participated in five-on-five practice with full contact Sunday and "remains on track for a likely summer league appearance in Las Vegas at some point."

Warriors California Classic coach Seth Cooper said Wiseman "looked really good" in Sunday's scrimmage, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wiseman underwent surgery in his rookie season after suffering a torn meniscus. His recovery didn't go as planned, as he was forced to undergo another surgery in mid-December to address the swelling in his knee. Wiseman ended up sitting out the entire 2021-22 season.

Along with The Athletic's Shams Charania, Slater reported in April that Wiseman had taken an orthobiologic injection, which is "a therapeutic treatment used to increase healing throughout the body."

The 21-year-old remains a bit of an enigma because of his lack of time on the court. After widely being considered as the top recruit in the class of 2019, Wiseman appeared in only three games in his lone season in Memphis and then was limited to 39 games as a rookie for Golden State.

Still, the Warriors view Wiseman as a key part of their young core thanks to his potential to be a strong rim protector and dominant rebounder. Slater and Charania stated that the team is likely to pick up his fourth-year option.

If Wiseman is able to suit up for summer league in Las Vegas, he will join a promising group that includes Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and 2022 first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr.