Mike Dunleavy's 'Super Aggressive' Warriors Claim Doesn't Pass Sniff Test

Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. believes the team's inaction on the trade and free-agent markets this offseason was not a result of complacency.

"We're super aggressive. I mean, if people knew the cold calls I made, offering a lot of stuff for players, I think they'd realize how hard we're trying," Dunleavy said.

Keep in mind that this offseason, the following major trades happened:

- Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors for a package centered around Brandon Ingram, two first-round picks and one first-round swap (pending)
- Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for a package centered around Paul George and two first-round picks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat for a massive haul

And so did these minor trades, in which the receiving team either didn't have to trade a first-round pick or traded a first and got one back:

- Lu Dort to the Hawks
- Miles Bridges to the Suns

It's been reported that the Dubs had major interest in Leonard and Antetokounmpo. It seems they at least considered a big move for Brown but ultimately passed on it.

As for minor players like Dort and Bridges, it's not clear if the Warriors got involved, but it's hard to believe they had no way of improving the team for a minor draft-capital price.

In any event, the big question is, can a team that doesn't do anything be "super aggressive"?

Dunleavy's Context

Dunleavy implied that the Warriors had interest this offseason in players who weren't moved.

"There's a lot of guys that we really, really value that don't get moved and that's probably because so do those teams," Dunleavy said.

Perhaps Trey Murphy III was one of the players he was referring to. The Warriors reportedly offered two first-round picks and salary filler for Murphy, but the Pelicans wanted more.

Who knows who else Dunleavy is talking about. Maybe he offered a haul for Nikola Jokic. There's no downside in asking if he's available, but it's not exactly a tried-and-true strategy trying to pry away a top-three player.

What 'Super Aggressive' Means from Dunleavy

My guess is Dunleavy is checking on lots of players with lowball offers and calling that being "super aggressive."

This would explain why the Warriors have reportedly been in on dozens of stars over the last few years but have landed just one in Jimmy Butler.

I compare what I think Dunleavy is doing to the fantasy manager in your dynasty league who makes outrageous trade offers every few weeks. You could say they are being aggressive, or you could say they are wasting your time.

What the Warriors need from Dunleavy to compete in 2026-27 is a more pragmatic trade approach.

Sure, it's risky upping the Murphy offer a bit, but I argue here that he's a worthy gamble.

What a super aggressive GM would do is target a few players he wants, find out the price of them, choose the trade that returns the best net value and actually close the deal.

That's the type of aggressiveness 38-year-old superstar Stephen Curry needs from his GM as he fends off Father Time for what's hopefully a few seasons longer.

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