Report: Warriors eyed PG13, Markkanen pairing in offseason blockbuster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It was no secret the Warriors wanted to make a big move — or two — this offseason.

Yes, Golden State attempted to acquire Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers before the veteran forward eventually opted out and signed a massive contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. And yes, the Warriors also attempted to acquire sharpshooting 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen before he signed a lucrative contract extension, eliminating any chance of a trade before or during the 2024-25 NBA season.

However, it appears there was more to the Warriors’ offseason plan than meets the eye.

Golden State not only pursued George and Markkanen, but wanted to acquire both — yes, both — players in what initially was the organization’s Plan A this offseason, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Tuesday in his feature story on Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy.

“When Dunleavy laid out the blueprint to Curry and Green, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen wasn’t Plan B. He was a subsection of Plan A,” Slater wrote. “The Warriors wanted both wings — believing George’s opt-out threat would allow them to protect the required assets to entice Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, and Markkanen’s reasonable $18 million returning salary could make the financials work.

Bringing in not only George or Markkanen, but both stars would have changed the Warriors’ roster and organization drastically.

While neither move ultimately worked out, a starting five featuring some combination of at least Steph Curry, Paul George, Lauri Markkanen and Draymond Green certainly would have made for a lethal lineup and likely would have propelled Golden State back into championship contention.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, their Plan A — or Plan B — never came to fruition.

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