From the outside, the Warriors are entering the opening of NBA free agency on Sunday having taken two steps back between their The dilemma between Paul, George, Klay and Thompson that could become a real problem for the front office.
Anyways Warriors trade or waive Chris PaulThey were always going to have 11 players under contract before free agency.
“We have some spots to fill. We have some needs to fill,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Thursday after the NBA draft. “We’ll turn the page from the draft to free agency and see what we can do.”
Some positions are more important than others for the Warriors. Some needs are more pressing than others, too. Coming off the draft with work to do, here are the Warriors’ free agency needs ranked by position and skill set.
5. Substitute base
Whatever your feelings about Paul’s lone season with the Warriors after years of being one of the organization’s biggest rivals, Steve Kerr consistently praised Paul for giving him his best minutes at the position without Steph Curry. Paul is going to leave. Once again there is a hole here on the Warriors roster.
The only other option on the Warriors’ roster right now is someone who is a real candidate to be their starting shooting guard: Brandin Podziemski.
The 21-year-old ranked fourth among rookies in total assists last season behind Scoot Henderson, Keyonte George and Victor Wembanyama. Henderson totaled 212 turnovers, George fumbled 188 times and Wembanyama had 260 turnovers, just 14 fewer than his 274 assists.
Podziemski turned the ball over 88 times. The All-Rookie First Team selection also had 273 assists. That ranked fourth on the Warriors behind Paul, Draymond Green and Curry.
Paul struggled to carry the ball against the defense’s pressure. Podziemski has already proven that he can handle that heat. But he also played both forward and point guard. Even if Podziemski handles the ball more frequently in his second season, the Warriors have a hole to fill here.
4. Defensive stopper
The Warriors had a defensive rating of 113.5 when Green played last season. Their defensive rating skyrocketed to 121.1 in 27 games without him. It’s no surprise that even at 34, Golden State’s defense still deviates from Green’s acumen and availability.
That doesn’t discredit the fact that the Warriors’ defense was consistently atrocious during stretches last season. Andrew Wiggins, the player who is supposed to block the other team’s leading scorer, had a defensive rating of 116.3, the worst among the Warriors’ regular players. Thompson was close at 116.1.
Gary Payton II’s 108.9 defensive rating led the Warriors. Payton also played in 44 games last season and has played in 66 over the past two seasons.
The Warriors prioritized a defensive threat in Reece Beekman from Virginia for a two-way contract immediately after the NBA draft. They still need more.
3. Wing depth
It’s a sideways league, and the Warriors have a bit of a logjam there, but they could still use more. Wiggins is the starting small forward right now, Although it might be on the moveIs Jonathan Kuminga a 3 or a 4? Moody was more of a small forward than a shooting guard last season.
The goal, once again, would be to find a winger who has size and can stretch the floor. Or better known as the “Otto Porter Jr.” model. Replicating Porter’s production from the 2022 championship season despite being on the last leg of his health has been difficult for the Warriors.
One option to consider is Tobias Harris. The veteran forward would be the Warriors’ latest reputation experiment, a la the Wiggins trade. Harris’ reputation has dropped significantly after failing to live up to big contracts. He is also 1.93 meters tall, can play both forward positions and can score three-pointers.
His build and what Harris theoretically does on the court are the type of players the Warriors could be looking at here.
2. Great man
Whether it’s in the backcourt, the frontcourt or on the wing, the Warriors need to grow. They need more size. There’s no getting around that reality.
Trayce Jackson-Davis replaced Kevon Looney as the Warriors’ starting center late in the regular season. The 24-year-old had a breakout rookie season and is the Warriors’ starter as it stands. At the very least, he needs to be part of a center rotation.
From Looney Tunes An $8 million contract was guaranteedwhich could still be part of a trade package. The veteran has a lot of value on the court and in the locker room. The addition of 24-year-old Quinten Post in the second round of the draft gave the Warriors their only true 7-foot-3 player, and a big man who can shoot.
The signing of Dario Saric has not gone as planned. Maybe Post can add some Nemanja Bjelica to his game. There is still a lot to be desired in a position on the roster that always seems to have some kind of question mark.
1. Goalscorer
George opting out of his player option and becoming an unrestricted free agent will almost certainly cost the nine-time All-Star what the Warriors can afford. Thompson’s time coming to an end as a Warrior is all but inevitable at this point.
Having an 0-10 donut as Thompson’s final performance can’t erase the fact that the Warriors will miss his scoring and shooting, or the fact that the Warriors desperately need a true second scoring option. They can’t find one on the free agent market. A true No. 2 can only be gotten through a trade.
So what. Go get a bucket. The Warriors need to study how they can replicate Jordan Poole’s scoring ability in 2021-22. Thompson was the second-leading scorer and made 268 3-pointers last season in what was considered a down year. Wiggins (91) and Podziemski (90) combined to make 181 three-pointers. Moody (72) and Kuminga (53) made 125 between them.
Mike Dunleavy changed by Lindy Waters III from Oklahoma City on the morning of the second round of the draft, and the 26-year-old can shoot from deep. For a team that revolutionized the 3-point shot, the Warriors need a lot more shots.
Especially in the case of Klay leaving.
Unless they make a big move, the Warriors are banking on Kuminga making a monumental leap and becoming Curry’s secondary scorer. Finding one in free agency is highly unlikely. A scorer, a shooter, or ideally both have to be at the top of the priority list.
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