Golden State Warriors foolishly putting all their eggs in the wrong star basket

The Golden State Warriors are foolishly putting all their eggs in the basket of the wrong star player.

If one thing has become clear this offseason, it's the fact that the Golden State Warriors are willing to do whatever it takes to help extend Stephen Curry's championship window with the team. Even if it comes at the expense of losing a core player - which is the exact scenario that played out with Klay Thompson when he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.

Instead of keeping Klay around, the Warriors decided this offseason was the perfect time to pivot in hopes of surrounding Curry with a stronger supporting cast that could help the team reemerge as championship contenders next season in the Western Conference.

Part of those plans involved letting Klay walk in free agency (officially via a sign-and-trade). It's beginning to look like the second and third parts of those plans revolve around replacing Klay's productive with a collection of cheap supporting parts while holding out for Lauri Markkanen, an emerging All-Star talent that the Utah Jazz may or may not trade this summer.

The Warriors have serious interest in Markkanen and clearly view him as a missing supporting star next to Curry. However, there's no guarantee that the Jazz will even trade him this offseason. Despite those rumored hesitations, the Warriors seem intent on waiting out the process. I can't help but wonder if that could end up being a big mistake.

Waiting for Lauri Markkanen to be traded could end in disaster for the Golden State Warriors

If I had to guess, my inklings tell me that the Jazz aren't trading Markkanen this offseason. I'd predict they agree to an extension and then trade him in a year or two. That remains to be seen and we certainly have to wait for all that to play out before judging the Warriors one way or another.

However, even if the Warriors were to land Markkanen, I wonder if that's a move that would make them immediate contenders in the West. I'm not so sure it would. Golden would be banking on the core of Cury, Markkanen, and Draymond to carry them deep in the West playoffs. I'm not sure that big 3 matches up with the other rising teams in the West.

The fact that even a best-case scenario doesn't guarantee them to be a top 3 team in the West gives me concern. Add in the risk that the Warriors are taking by waiting out the Jazz, one of the most unpredictable franchises in the league, and there's a good chance this is an offseason Golden State could end up regretting.

On the other hand, they may not have many better alternatives. And that's fair. But it's amazing how much the Warriors have fallen. At one point, they were signing Kevin Durant, the league's top free agent, and adding him to an in-their-prime core of Curry, Klay, and Draymond. Now, they're hoping the Jazz trade Markkanen to them without the guarantee that it will work.

And all that is under the assumption the Warriors have the best offer on the table.