Is the reign of the Golden State Warriors nearing its end?

Whether Golden State wins a third championship or not this season is not so much the dominant conversation surrounding the team as of late. For many, the Warriors are likely to three-peat, given its deep pool of talent. Instead, most thoughts are focused on whether the team will still continue its NBA dominance once the 2018-19 season is done, says sports buff Michael Volitich.


A lot of player contracts are in the air at the end of the season. Damian Jones and Shaun Livingston are destined for free agency if management decides it can do away with them after this year and lower its huge luxury-tax expenses. Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala may just be on the same predicament, even with a guarantee to play until next season.

Image source: sfchronicle.com

But the bigger free agency issue come July has to do with most of Golden State’s key stars. Aside from its supporting cast of Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Quinn Cook, also hitting free agency come July are Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kevin Durant.

Image source: dailymail.co.uk

Cousins re-signing is highly unlikely even if the Warriors do win another title, given enforced salary cap restrictions. But it’s in keeping Thompson and Durant that the future of the franchise lies. Simply put, the Warriors cannot rely solely on long-term-signed Steph Curry to carry the offensive load should the two other superstars leave.

Moreover, even if they do choose to stay, Curry, Thompson, and Durant are already nearing or at their 30s. Draymond Green will also begin to slow down in just several more years, as all four goes past their prime. But optimistically speaking, the best team in modern NBA do have several more years to go. Surely fans would be deeply disappointed if they do break up at this point, adds Michael Volitich. Warriors management should give keeping them together the top priority, with or without graffiti falling on the Bay Area this postseason.

Michael Volitich is a University of Florida Creative Writing student focusing on sports writing. He likes to write about various sports teams and popular players. Visit this blog for related posts.