Thank You, Bob Myers

After 12 years with the Warriors, with 4 championships and 6 Finals appearances along the way, Warriors General Manager Bob Myers has stepped down from his role. Myers' contract as the GM with the Warriors was expiring, and since he had not agreed to an extension, multiple teams naturally had an interest in the highly-acclaimed GM. The Warriors were also understandably desperate to keep Bob Myers, as they offered him a record deal for a GM worth over 7 figures. However, after all that, Myers has decided to simply step down from his position and spend more time with his family, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He's still contemplating whether to join a different NBA franchise or not, but as of right now, Myers remains an unsigned free agent. To honor all that Bob Myers has done for the Warriors during its dynastic run, let's look back at some of the incredible moves, trades, and signings that Myers completed during his 12 years with the Warriors. 

Key Draftees

In the 2012 NBA draft, which was Bob Myers' first time ever leading a draft room, he struck gold in the second round, drafting Draymond Green from Michigan State with the 35th overall pick. Obviously, the pick was revolutionary, as, without Green, the Warriors' dynasty would have never existed. Also in the 2012 NBA Draft, where there wasn't much star talent at the top, Myers was able to draft a key contributor and role player with the 7th pick: Harrison Barnes. Barnes held his own as the starting Small Forward for the Warriors prior to the arrival of Kevin Durant, and it's safe to say that without him, the Warriors' 73-9 season and 2014-2015 NBA championship would've been much harder to achieve. 3 years later, in 2015, at the end of the first round, Myers drafted another Warriors' contributor: Kevon Looney. After a rough start to his career, dealing with multiple serious injuries, Looney turned it around quickly and has been a key piece in the frontcourt since 2017. His skills and value to the Warriors were certainly accentuated in the 2022 NBA finals run. In 2019, Myers again hit on a late first-round pick: Jordan Poole. Again, after a rough start to his career, Poole quickly became one of the best scorers for the 2022 Warriors championship team and a 20+ PPG scorer this past season. Most recently, Myers drafted Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Patrick Baldwin, and it's safe to say that they all have the potential to be key contributors to the Warriors franchise and turn into stars. 

Key Trades and Signings

Part of running a dynasty means finding great role players on cheap deals. That's exactly what Bob Myers did during his Warriors tenure. First, in the 2013 offseason, Myers orchestrated a trade with the Utah Jazz in order to cut some salary for the Warriors. Why? Because he wanted to sign Andre Iguodala. Iggy would've signed with the Kings, but since Myers cut some salary on the roster, the Warriors were able to offer Iggy a more lucrative deal, and as a result, Iggy ended up choosing to sign with the Warriors. The impact of Iggy can't be understated: 2015 Finals MVP and more recently, serving as a player mentor during the 2022 Finals run (by the way, congrats on retirement, Iggy!). In the following offseason, Myers signed Shaun Livingston on an incredibly cheap deal, and he has also been a great role player for the Warriors during the first few years of their dynastic run. Livingston is now working in the front office. And obviously, the most famous, or infamous depending on who you ask, signing was Kevin Durant in 2016. Though many hated him for joining the Warriors, Myers had a key role in Durant deciding to do so, and as a result, the Warriors extended their dynasty, winning two championships in a row with Durant being the Finals MVP for both. Now, after a myriad of injuries where it seemed like the Warriors dynasty was about to end, Myers was able to acquire D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade with the Nets after Durant went there in free agency, and in 2020, Myers was able to flip Russell for Wiggins and the Timberwolves' pick. Wiggins was obviously a key player in the 2022 NBA championship run, providing great perimeter defense, rebounding, and slashing, while that Timberwolves pick ended up becoming the 7th pick of the 2021 NBA draft, where Myers selected Jonathan Kuminga. Myers also had a huge role in keeping Gary Payton II and signing Otto Porter Jr in the 2021 offseason, and again, both of them, though on minimum deals at the time, were contributors during the 2022 championship run. 

All in all, Dub Nation has to say this: Thank you, Bob Myers.