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Lacob: 'Very unlikely' Warriors trade for star

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Following the NBA draft's conclusion, Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob says his team trading for a star player is likely off the table.

"It's very unlikely, I've said that we’re not going to trade for anybody that people are expecting. Very unlikely," Lacob said in an interview with The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

"So the more likely path - and the path that I think, as an owner, I feel most comfortable with, quite frankly - is to bridge the gap to the future," Lacob added.

Recent reports said the Warriors' star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green encouraged management to acquire a player capable of helping them win another championship.

One week after the triad made their request, Golden State reportedly rejected a trade offer from the Philadelphia 76ers that would've landed the team another All-Star talent in Ben Simmons in exchange for a sizeable chunk of the current core. The Warriors then went on to draft Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with the Nos. 7 and 14 picks, respectively, later that day.

Lacob has indicated his squad will instead emphasize setting itself up well for the future.

"We’ve got three or four contracts and big players that are still in their early 30s, still have quite a bit of time to go, especially in this day and age," Lacob said. "If we can kind of have a Wiseman and a Kuminga and a Moody and a Poole (help in the meantime), they don’t have to be awesome next year. With a great investment in our player development staff, we just want them to show great potential."

Curry, Thompson, Green, and Andrew Wiggins will earn a combined $139.2 million next season, which makes it challenging for the organization to significantly reconfigure the current roster given luxury tax implications.

Golden State finished last campaign with a 39-33 record but is widely regarded as a 2021-22 title contender thanks to Thompson's expected return from a torn Achilles.

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