From the outside, the Warriors are entering the opening of NBA free agency on Sunday having taken two steps back from their Paul-George-Klay-Thompson dilemma that could become a real problem for the front office.
In any case, if the Warriors trade or waive Chris Paul, they were always going to have 11 players under contract when they hit free agency.
“We have some positions to fill. We have some needs to fill,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Thursday after the NBA Draft. “We’ll move on 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. Backup point guard
Whatever your opinion on 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 the best minutes he’s ever had at his position outside of Steph. Curry. Paul is going to leave. Once again there is a hole in 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 had a total of 212 turnovers, George 188 times and Wembanyama 260, just 14 fewer than his 274 assists.
Podziemski fumbled 88 times. The player selected for the all-rookie first team also added 273 assists. That ranked him fourth among the Warriors behind Paul, Draymond Green and Curry.
Paul struggled to get the ball under defensive pressure. Podziemski has already shown he can handle that pressure. But he also played both forward and point guard. Even if Podziemski is handling the ball more often 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. His defensive rating skyrocketed to 121.1 in 27 games without him. It’s no surprise that, even at 34 years old, Golden State’s defense still relies on Green’s acumen and availability.
That doesn’t discredit the fact that the Warriors’ defense was consistently atrocious during stretches of 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 Warriors regulars. Thompson was close behind 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 the last two seasons.
The Warriors prioritized a defensive threat in Virginia’s Reece Beekman on a two-way contract immediately after the NBA draft. They still need more.
3. Wing depth
It’s a side league, and the Warriors have a bit of a logjam there, but they could still use more. Wiggins is the starting small forward at the moment, although he could be on the move. Is Jonathan Kuminga a 3 or a 4? Moody was more of a wing than a shooting guard last season.
The goal, once again, would be to find a small forward who has size and can space the floor. Or better known as the “Otto Porter Jr.” model. Replicating Porter’s production from the 2022 championship season despite him being in the latter stages of health has been difficult for the Warriors.
One option to monitor 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’s also 6-foot-8, can play both forward positions and can shoot 3-pointers.
His build and what Harris theoretically does on the court are the type of players the Warriors could be looking at here.
2. Big man
Whether it’s in the backcourt, frontcourt or on the wings, the Warriors have to grow. They need more size. There is no way to avoid 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.
Looney’s $8 million contract was guaranteed, but he could still be part of a trade deal. The veteran has plenty 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 7-foot-10 big man who can shoot.
The signing of Dario Saric hasn’t gone as planned. Perhaps Post can incorporate some of Nemanja Bjelica into his game. There’s still a lot to be desired in a position in the squad that always seems to have some kind of question mark.
1. scorer
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.
The fact that Thompson is 0-for-10 can’t erase the fact that the Warriors will miss his scoring and shooting ability, or the fact that the Warriors are in dire need of a second scoring option. They aren’t finding 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 an off year. Wiggins (91) and Podziemski (90) combined to make 181 3-pointers. Moody (72) and Kuminga (53) made 125 between them.
Mike Dunleavy acquired Lindy Waters III from Oklahoma City in a trade 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’s departure.
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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