GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 25, 2023

Mike Dunleavy

Media Conference

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, just want to kick things off here and say, I think we're excited for the start of the season with training camp right around the corner.

Feel like we've had a good, productive off-season. Made it through the job here for a few months since I was last up here, and still here and have the job, so I haven't messed it up too much. We feel good with where our team is at and where our roster is at. We'll add more players the next few days to invite to camp and from there we'll see what we have. I think it will be a good, competitive training camp with some positions and some playing time up for grabs.

Really want to focus on getting off to a good start this season. I think our players have been in the gym throughout the summer. Good, young development program we have going, and our veterans are starting to trickle back in now. So I just think we are in a good place mentally, physically, healthy going into camp and looking forward to a great season.

Q. When it comes to that open roster spot and guys you'll be bringing in, what are some characteristics do you think are important to fill that 15th spot with?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I think we've got two spots, 14 and 15. We don't have to use them both, but we are open to it. I think from that standpoint, if there was a positional need or something that we absolutely needed, I think maybe we have already pursued and committed to that.

Nice thing is I think we have good versatility and optionality throughout the roster, so nothing that we absolutely have to do right now. We are bringing in a mix of different players that we think can do some different things, and we'll evaluate in camp.

But I don't think we have our sights set on any one thing right now in terms of a guard, a big, a wing, a young player, an old player. We are kind of open, and I think that's a great position to be in where we have flexibility and can kind of evaluate to see what's the best for our team.

Q. Can you characterize the discussions with Dwight Howard and what led to a yes/no decision on him there?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: I would just say in general, we brought maybe 40 or 50 guys in this summer to get a further look at, knowing agents and people around the league knowing we've got two roster spots open.

So there's a desire to come in and meet with us and play with our guys, and we've looked at a lot of different players, and some of them we will bring into camp.

The player you mentioned is just one of many that we brought in and evaluated, and you know, I think right now you'll know more about who we're inviting to camp in a couple of days.

But overall we feel good about what we've done this summer and we'll keep our options open in terms of who we need to add.

Q. What are your thoughts on Kuminga and Moody entering their third season and how do you feel like adding a veteran like Chris Paul can aid their development?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I feel great about those guys. They both had really good summers, and they have been around here some and they have been elsewhere where they are getting good work in. We are excited for them to see what they can do in year three. I think there will be some more opportunity and playing time available.

And as you mentioned with Chris, adding him into the mix, as well as Cory Joseph and Dario Saric, I think all those guys can really complement and help our younger players with the way they play, their experience, their maturity.

So we are excited and optimistic about what JK and Moses can do in year three here.

Q. Obviously the season has not even fully started yet but both Klay and Steve are entering the final years of their contracts. How have those -- have those discussions begun? Is it important to get it going earlier or just table that later time?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I mean, with those guys, I mean, the main thing is, it's good on both sides. I think there's a desire to extend or be back or you know make sure those guys are in the fold with the Golden State Warriors moving forward. I think both sides feel that way. I think when you're working off that idea, you can come to a deal and hopefully we can do that.

In those scenarios, there's no realtime line in the immediate future that we have to abide by, so we'll continue to have conversations. But the main goal is secure those guys moving forward, and I think they feel a little bit of the same. But we are optimistic, and I think we are in a good place there.

Q. Steve and your predecessor had a very tight relationship. Now that you've stepped into the role, how has your relationship with Steve changed? You had one before, but I imagine it's a lot more time together now?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I think it helps for myself being around here the last few years, getting to know Steve, Steve getting to know me a little bit. Obviously our communication, touch points have ramped up now with this promotion. But overall, I have a great relationship with Steve, a ton of success that he's brought this way.

I'll probably lean on him in a lot of ways. He's had this position before as a general manager. So he definitely can provide some great insight, and he already has; and I'll continue to help and support him any way I can.

Q. Why specifically are you comfortable with the potential center rotation, and why do you feel like size is overblown, or the need for size is overblown?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: I want to get into camp and see a little bit about our needs. I'm not fully committed to say we are good at that position but I know for camp we are but we have five guys that can play center for training camp.

To me, it's a position that you can't play multiple of them of, so I want to make sure everybody gets enough reps. And I think that's been our discussion with the coaching staff, as well. I think that's the path we'll head down from there.

Again, we've got to evaluate it. And I think with us, we have to be very careful about the types of players we bring in. You know, just because a guy is tall or just because a guy can shoot or just because a guy is athletic doesn't necessarily mean they can fit in the way we play. We have to be very mindful of that and we'll continue to do so.

I like the five guys that we can play at center right now. I think they all fit well with how Steve wants to play and looking forward to evaluating them the next few weeks.

Q. You mentioned a couple times and Steve mentioned that Chris Paul's role, starter or bench, will be determined in training camp. What factors will decide that?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people's roles will be determined in camp, not just Chris. A little bit of your question, I'll probably defer to Steve on. I'll chat with him on it. It will bounce things off our way as a front office.

But ultimately, you get into camp and you get lineups together, and you start thinking through the season; that's a coaching thing. Totally defer to him on that. I just know we've got a pretty good roster, and you talk about Chris and the five starters that we had last year when they played were great. I think we have good optionality.

Q. As we look at the open roster spots, what's the confidence level knowing you should have a full season of Gary Payton II back in the fold and Wiggins?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, we are confident. Those guys have put in good time this summer. Their bodies, their health is in good shape. But injuries happen. You want to have the right amount of depth and backup and all that stuff.

Yeah, knock-on-wood right now, we feel great about where those guys are at, the rest of the guys on our roster, both physically and mentally. We are in a good place here end of September.

Q. How much have your veterans been around or been meeting elsewhere together? How much has Chris been involved in that, and like what are you seeing right now as far as how ready and hungry your veterans seem to be?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I've seen a great amount of connectivity this off-season, whether they are meeting up in areas, in southern California, Las Vegas, what have you. Not only that, there are times in August where we had young guys in and Steph was in, Chris Paul took a Southwest flight at 6:00 AM to be up here for a workout one day. So these guys are all in on making it work and us having a great season.

Like I said, I really feel good with where we are at in September. Got a ton of work to do, but I think the foundation is in a good place right now.

Q. You mentioned connection or connectivity a lot the last few months, when you got the job, other times. How much has that been an emphasis from you guys to them or has that been you and Steph and everybody? How much has that word come up? You mentioned a few examples of it. How much have you seen that happen leading up to camp?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: It's been huge, not only with the players but the coaching staff, the front office, we are all sort of talking about it and preaching it and kind of lost a little bit that have last year. I think the players almost haven't really had so say much to them about it. They got it. They know we were a little discombobulated, especially as the season went on last year, and everybody knows we need to correct it.

And I think we made the right steps this summer and I think we'll need to continue to build through camp. We are in a good place in that area but you've got to keep it going.

Q. When CP3 flew out here, who was the work out with? Was it with Steph and Draymond and all those?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, our guys were in the gym a lot this summer playing pickup and we had a pickup game. Steph was in a decent amount, but he's got a busy schedule in the off-season.

So there was a day Steph, we knew he was coming in; and Chris, being his off-season home in L.A., made the effort to get up here. That's the one thing about Chris, he loves to play. He's getting on a flight early in the morning to get up here and get a game in. Got to respect the guy.

Q. Where do things stand right now with Klay Thompson and just your desire to get an extension for him and get him more aligned with Steph Curry's remaining years and now Draymond Green's remaining years?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, that's really important to us, to keep Klay in the fold. He provides an element that's so unique to this team. He knows the ins and outs. He's been here as long as anybody.

Continuing Klay's career here as a Warrior is really important to us. I think last year he showed for the most part, he can really still play at a high level. In some ways, I think missing two full seasons, he may make up a little bit on the back end and I think he's primed to have a really good mid-30s career. I know he's put a ton of time in this off-season, so excited for the year he's got ahead of him.

Q. Klay last off-season talked about the mental hurdle he was playing, where he wasn't playing pickup, etc., and now we know this off-season we've seen him in some work out videos playing pick up. In your role now, how important is it to see him get those reps and be back in pickup, and mentally, as well?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: It's huge. I haven't been there myself. As you get older, the off-seasons become even more important. You have to find a way to keep yourself in shape, in the mix, so when training camp comes around, you're ready to go.

I think for Klay, it's been tough the last few years with his injuries. He's doing a lot of rehab, and you get to the point where it's like, all right, I'm sure he got through our championship season, and just it was in some ways a reset and a letdown, and I think last summer was tough for him.

But I think this summer, he's been a totally different animal and really engaged on it, and like I said, in a great place right now to kick off the season.

Q. Like you mentioned, training camp and the competition you want to see, is that just the circumstances of having two roster spots open, or is it something that you and Steve and the rest of the guys want to establish a tone for the season and get more sweat in at the beginning of the year to get the tires a little bit of tread?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: I think it's both. Certainly with the roster spots, you've got some stuff to figure out in terms of who you want on the team.

But also I think with last year, you're coming off a championship. The summer is shorter. We started camp early because we had to go to Japan. It was just such a whirlwind, such a quick turnaround.

Now we've had some time to sort of get a good summer underneath us, reenergize, and we'll kickoff camp at kind of the normal time of year, actually a little bit later this year, starting in early October.

It just feels like the summer has gone on long enough. Time to get going again, and that's what we're looking forward to.

Q. How do you think you'll handle this new rest policy that the league is trying to implement?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: Yeah, I mean, certainly the parameters are based around a lot of our stuff in terms of back-to-backs, national TV games and having four players that sort of qualify under the load management rest policy.

You know, look, the league makes the rules. We'll play by them. That's the best I can say. I do know that we have a tremendous amount of data and science and input from our players in terms of how much they should be playing and how much they shouldn't be playing, and we've always leaned on that in the past; we'll continue to lean on it. But we've got to play by the rules, too.

Q. Going back to Kuminga and Moody, how did you feel about the overall depth that you have? I think you referenced opportunities for them to play. Is it at a point now where you're like, hey, they have to be part of it on a night-in, night-out bases, which has not all been the case?

MIKE DUNLEAVY, JR.: I don't know about have to or any mandates as far as those guys go, but I think they are probably more ready. You always want to get these guys minutes early in their career, and in year one, year two, and we've talked about that the last few years.

But year three, these guys are older now. They know our system. They are more mature. I think our veterans, our coaches trust them more. So I think realistically, there will be much more of an opportunity for them to play.

But that being said, we've got a good team. We've got good depth. There's no guarantees. But you know, as far as those guys go, I think they are in a good place.