Within a few days of winning the NBA Finals in June, Warriors coach Steve Kerr peeked ahead to the 2018-19 season, when a shift in roster dynamics would provide an infusion of youth.
Patrick McCaw was going to be a part of that.
Six months later, the Warriors have seen neither hide nor hair of McCaw. He kept his distance over the summer, didn’t report to training camp in September and on Friday signed an offer sheet from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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So much for that summertime plan.
“We’ll see what happens,” Kerr told reporters after shootaround Saturday in Portland. “But the whole thing has been surprising. We anticipated that Patrick would be a part of our rotation this year. It just didn’t happen, for whatever reason.”
McCaw declined the Warriors’ qualifying offer of $1.7 million and also showed no interest in a two-year deal worth $5.2 million. He made it clear with his absence that his career would be better served with another franchise.
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Golden State Warriors
Kerr conceded that McCaw’s decision, along with losing center Damian Jones four weeks ago to a season ending injury, has stalled plans get appreciably younger.
“The youth movement that we talked about has not unfolded, given the injury and Patrick’s situation,” he said. “It’s one of those things that can turn, though. You never know how it’s all going to play out. That’s the thing with the NBA, like life, who the hell knows what’s going happen tomorrow or today, so you just have to adapt and move on.”
Though McCaw has spent most of the past six months in the St. Louis area, where he grew up, veteran forward Andre Iguodala and several other Warriors teammates have been in intermittent contact.
“It’s a weird situation,” said Stephen Curry, who has had little contact with McCaw. “This industry, this game, it’s wild at times. Some stuff doesn’t make sense.
“But guys make decisions and try to look out for their best interest, whatever that means for them. At the end of the day, that’s what you hope, that Pat is happy and healthy. We obviously wish the best for him, wherever, if it’s back here with us, or wherever he ends up.”
The Warriors have 48 hours to decide whether to match the Cleveland offer sheet. That was unlikely, according to league sources on Friday, but the Warriors are said to be deliberating on the issue.