The Golden State Warriors have quickly turned their attention to the offseason after falling to the Cavs, and they have their sights set on making a big splashy move or two. Here are the latest Warriors news and rumors you need to know:
Warriors “big-game hunting” in free agency
Golden State hasn’t been shy about their pursuit of Kevin Durant in free agency this summer, but he’s far from the only guy the Warriors are targeting. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Warriors plan to go after several top guys on the open market.
What we can guarantee, with free agency still 10 days away, is that Golden State is determined to find out [who they can get]. Sources say that the NBA’s newly minted NBA runner-ups are all the way in on going for it.
There will surely be other prominent targets, via signings or trades, whose names are not yet known but will emerge soon. Golden State is a destination now, something the Warriors know and plan to exploit. “Big-game hunting” is the phrase you constantly hear in team circles.
Dirk Nowitzki is another name that has come up as a target for Golden State, and there will be plenty of others that emerge if they don’t land Durant - who is still priority No. 1.
Barnes to get max contract?
The Warriors have said they plan to match any offer that Harrison Barnes gets as a restricted free agent this summer, but that may be costly. As The Vertical’s Bobby Marks writes, Barnes is expected to get a max contract this summer.
In the cases of Barnes and Beal, the best solution for the Warriors and Wizards, respectively, would be to retain both players even if that means overpaying at the $21.3 million projected max.
Barnes would be the Warriors’ highest-paid player next season if he were to sign for the max salary of $21.3 million. Barnes’ projected salary percentage would be comparable to teammate Klay Thompson’s salary percentage on the $15.5 million he made under a $70 million cap this past season. The true value of Barnes’ contract his first year would actually be worth $16.3 million using a $70 million cap.
The Celtics, Lakers, Mavs and Suns have all expressed interest in signing Barnes this offseason.
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