The NBA Offseason is here, and the Golden State Warriors are looking for upgrades to ensure they don't come up short in next year's NBA Championship. The Warriors have said they'll be aggressive, and that means they'll try to land a big name. With that in mind, here are the three biggest Warriors storylines to watch for during the 2016 NBA offseason.
3. How To Upgrade The Bench?
The Warriors have several pending free agents, and they won't bring them all back. Players like Mo Speights and Brandon Rush (plus two more below), could leave. The Warriors will need to find replacements and they'll expect those players to emerge as key role players. It's not clear who the Warriors will go after, but they could try to convince a player like Dirk Nowitzki to take a bench role. If that fails, lesser known players could head West to Golden State.
2. What To Do With Barnes And Ezeli?
Those two players teased above are restricted free agents Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli. The Warriors can match any offer the duo get, but given their lackluster NBA Finals play and the Warriors desire to pursue another big name (see below), the Warriors might let them walk. Both players are valuable members of the Warriors, but with the salary cap rising, could get bigger contracts than the Warriors are willing to pay. If the Warriors let Barnes and Ezeli go, then they'll need to find replacements for these two as well. The Warriors' roster could be in for some major changes this offseason.
1. Can The Warriors Steal Durant?
Everything for the Warriors' offseason plans hinges on Durant. They want him, and they are the biggest threat to the Thunder. They aren't the favorites, but the Warriors have a legit shot at landing Durant. They'd need to part with at least one of either Andre Iguodala or Andrew Bogut, but landing Durant would be worth it. The bench might be thin, but there wouldn't be a better Top 4 players anywhere in the NBA than Curry-Thompson-Green-Durant. This is the storyline to watch for the Warriors, and for the entire NBA offseason.