Are the Warriors making a mistake by straddling two timelines?

The Golden State Warriors have been straddling two timelines for multiple years. In Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Steve Kerr has two elite veterans who know how to win and what it takes to be a consistent contender. The Warriors also have some elite young talent with All-Star upside. Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga are the two jewels of the younger core.

According to Dieter Kurtenbach of the Mercury News, the Warriors could be making a mistake in their commitment to developing young talent while still trying to be a contending roster.

“It seems more likely that the Warriors are making the same mistake twice: They’re going for two timelines — the present and the future,” Kurtenbach wrote when lamenting the team’s dilly-dallying over a Lauri Markkanen trade. “And in that effort, they’ll ensure they have no timelines. Let me tell you, two in hand is better than two in the bush.”

While having two timelines is the ideal scenario for any team, it appears that it’s limiting Golden State from reaching a championship ceiling while also holding back the development of some young players, such as Moses Moody.

If the Warriors want to continue giving Curry and Green opportunities to add to their impressive trophy haul, the front office may need to accept that it will mean going all-in on the veteran core and dealing with an inevitable rebuild when the time arises.