Count On Joe Lacob To Make A Big Splash, No Matter The Cost

Count On Joe Lacob To Make A Big Splash, No Matter The Cost (Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Ever since Joe Lacob and co. took ownership of the Golden State Warriors in 2010, the team has had a penchant for making a big splash.

David Lee, Jerry West, Mark Jackson, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, Steve Kerr are just some of the big names the Warriors have added since Lacob took control in 2010. They also reportedly made a run at  Dwight Howard last summer.

The Warriors have made, or at least  have attempted to make, a bold move every year since the change in ownership. With a number of new rumors in circulation, there’s no reason to expect any less this off-season.

Whether or not the Warriors actually land Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, or (dramatic pause) LeBron James, we can be sure they’ll at least throw their hat in the ring.

The Western Conference is littered with talented duos. There’s Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, James Harden and Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Oh, and there’s also the San Antonio Spurs, who might not feature a pair of All-Stars, but just won the NBA Championship nonetheless.

Steph Curry can’t continue to remain the Warriors lone All-Star if they want to reach the much talked about “next level,” and with Lee fading and Iguodala not making the expected offensive impact, another big move seems to be in the cards.

We’ve seen the lengths management has been willing to go to make a big splash.

They signed off on a max deal for Lee in 2010, pulled the amnesty trigger far too quickly in order to sign DeAndre Jordan to an offer sheet in 2011, and sent off two first round picks to clear enough cap space to sign Iguodala last summer.

Then there’s Kerr’s 5-year, $25 million dollar deal, which made him the highest paid coach in the league outside of Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Popovich, who all handle separate front-office duties in addition to working the sidelines.

So when the Minnesota Timberwolves demand that Klay Thompson be included in a package for Love, which will inevitably become the case, it’s easy to believe the Warriors won’t balk and end negotiations.

Yahoo! NBA write Adrian Wojnarowski said as much on the Dan Patrick show Monday:

Golden State knows this: “If we’re going to get Kevin Love, we have to put Klay Thompson in the deal,” and I think when you look around at all the other young players that they could get in Minnesota, Klay Thompson might be the best one available to them.

There have been murmurs from fans that trading Thompson, in addition to Harrison Barnes and David Lee, could further upset Curry, who is already dealing with the departure of friend and coach Mark Jackson.

The All-Star point guard has repeatedly mentioned the importance of re-signing the other half of the Splash Brothers tandem in off-season interviews. Would he take kindly to another dismissal of his opinion from the front office?

But the acquisition of a well-regarded player like Love seems like a forgivable offense.

The Warriors have made it clear they’ll do just about anything to get what they want. Thompson, like Monta Ellis, could end up  just another victim of progress towards the ultimate goal.

Regardless of whether Thompson is moved, the Dubs will almost assuredly take another step towards that goal this off-season, as the team tries to record a third straight winning season for the first time since 1978.

As Curry and Thompson have recently made clear, the Warriors’ championship window is here.

But progress will take its toll on the roster and fans have to wonder which Warriors will be around to chase those rings.