Why Joe Lacob's Email Response to Fan Makes Warriors' Next Move Obvious

A frustrated Warriors fan emailed Joe Lacob after Golden State's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, and Lacob actually responded on Monday.

Let's go over what the fan and Lacob said and what it means for the Warriors.

Fan's Email to Lacob

A few minutes after Stephen Curry scored 48 points in a loss to the Blazers, a fan sent this email to Lacob:

Dear Joe,

Please do something about this Team. What Steph need to do every night to win? Drop 50 points?

Team is need a real second option. Jimmy's tools are being underutilized because he is playing as a power forward due to the small position players. We have no true center.

I am so frustrated.

Thanks,

Justin

Lacob's Response

You can't be as frustrated as me. I am working on it. It's complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.

Warriors' Next Move Is Obvious

This response was telling for a few reasons.

First, Lacob is unsurprisingly frustrated and is working on fixing it, which likely means he's looking to make a trade.

This isn't shocking, but you can never know for sure how motivated Lacob is to deal considering he's been so hesitant to trade future first-round picks in his tenure.

This email suggests he's desperate enough to make a pretty big move, so I'm guessing he's open to dealing at least one first-round pick.

Second, Lacob's support of Jimmy Butler suggests they aren't looking to deal him. Butler is having a decent season, but his lack of offensive aggression (just 11.4 field-goal attempts per game) is a source of frustration for fans.

Many fans have suggested that Butler is not worth even close to his $54.1 million salary and thus should be traded. We can be confident that's not happening.

Lacob's support for Butler combined with his longtime support for Curry and Draymond Green leaves just one trade avenue: dealing Jonathan Kuminga.

It will surely be a bitter pill to swallow for Lacob, who has been one of the biggest believers in Kuminga since drafting him in 2021.

But even Lacob must be aware that this relationship has run its course, as Kuminga is currently getting DNPs.

I've speculated that Lacob is motivated to get something for Kuminga, even if it means attaching valuable draft capital to do so.

If the Warriors keep Kuminga past the trade deadline, his trade value will only get lower before the offseason. One of the reasons a team would trade for Kuminga now is his contract structure, which includes a team option for the 2026-27 season.

The idea of having Kuminga for about three months to see if he pops and then having the ability to choose to keep him for another year is intruguing. It would be far less intriguing for rival teams to trade for him in the offseason after Golden State exercises his team option.

I've speculated that the Warriors should target a big wing for Kuminga.

The best potential targets are Trey Murphy III and Michael Porter Jr., but the Warriors could also zero in on Herb Jones or Andrew Wiggins.

If the wing market is dry, Golden State can pivot to Myles Turner or Ivica Zubac to improve its center situation.

Trading for any of these players will likely cost at least one first-round pick, and if Lacob's frustration is any indication, he's willing to give one up.