fbpx
Skip to main content

Five free agents the Warriors should target this summer

Fresh off a disappointing conclusion to their season in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors have already turned the page. Owner Joe Lacob indicated immediately after the Game 7 loss that he would be aggressive in terms of targeting free agents during the summer.

We’ve already seen the rumors linking some of the top available free agents to the two-time defending Western Conference champions.

Who might the Warriors target should they look to make a splash this summer? Here’s a look at five viable free agents.

1. Kevin Durant, forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry

The rumors of Durant landing in Oakland will not be going away until he signs on the dotted line to return to Oklahoma City or ends up joining the two-time defending Western Conference champions.

While the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets could be feasible destinations for this former MVP, it really does seem as though his likeliest options at this point are either the Thunder or the Warriors.

Durant just recently indicated that his free-agent decision will be based solely on basketball. Though, that seems to be more him playing the company line here.

Listen. Durant understands full well the endorsement opportunities a larger market like the Bay Area would present him. He also knows that the Warriors will be moving to a brand new arena in San Francisco just as he hits the prime of his career. These salient points are not lost on him.

With potentially $18 million to spend under the cap, Golden State would need to make a move or two in order to afford Durant. That doesn’t even take into account the fact that it would have to let Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights walk in free agency.

Concerns about depth would obviously be an issue here. What we do know is that Durant’s game fits the Warriors up-tempo attack to a T. He’s also someone willing to distribute the ball from the wing, which would be huge with the Splash Brothers on the outside.

All things equal, this makes a ton of sense. It just remains to be seen whether Durant would be willing to piggyback on a team with the two-time reigning MVP. That’s the biggest question here. Otherwise, the Warriors seem like an optimal destination for him.

2. Dwight Howard, center, Houston Rockets

Courtesy of Kelley L. Cox, USA Today Sports

Imagine this. A player in Howard who has rubbed current Warriors players the wrong way signing with the team as a free agent. It really isn’t all that far-fetched. After all, Golden State finished as the runner-up for his services prior to him signing with the Houston Rockets back in 2013.

In reality, Howard is the type of player Golden State needs in the low post. He’s past the point in his career where plays will be called specifically for him. Instead, the idea here would be to give the team that low-post rim protector, something that was seriously missing with Andrew Bogut out of the lineup for the last three games of the Finals.

There’s also the potential bonus that Golden State might be able to talk Howard into taking a deal that would be below the max. In turn, that could afford the team to keep Bogut, Andre Iguodala and potentially even re-sign Barnes, should the team be willing to remain over the luxury tax.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, forward, Dallas Mavericks

Reports earlier in the week indicating that the Warriors plan to make a run at Dirk came pretty much out of nowhere. While this future Hall of Fame forward will opt out of his contract, the consensus here is that he’s going to remain in Dallas. Nowitzki has also said he wants to finish his career with the Mavs (more on that here).

In reality, it does seem a bit too far-fetched to believe he’d actually move on from a city he’s called home for his entire 18-year career.

There should also be some real concern from the Warriors’ perspective here. How would Dirk fit into the team’s up-tempo attack? Would they be signing him to come off the bench? If not, is he going to play the three? These are real questions that general manager Bob Myers and Co. must answer in the coming weeks.

In terms of what Nowitzki might be able to bring to the table, he did average 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 35 percent from three-point range this past season. There’s a lot to like there.

4. Al Horford, center, Atlanta Hawks

As you can tell, the expectation in Oakland has to be that this team will be going after front-court players. If that’s indeed the case, then Horford makes a ton of sense.

He boasted a better defensive rating than Bogut in each of the past two seasons, so signing him would enable the team to finally feature that much-needed rim protector. He would also provide the team with a much more capable offensive mind at the five. Yet another thing Golden State will need to continue its spot on top out west moving forward.

As with Durant, any potential move for Horford would have to include a selling off of one or two pieces currently on the Warriors’ roster. In this, finding a taker for Bogut would become the team’s paramount concern. If that were to happen, there’s very little reason to believe Horford wouldn’t be a good fit.

5. Hassan Whiteside, center, Miami Heat

Courtesy of Robert Duyos, USA Today Sports

Ideally for the Warriors, this is the player they’d be able to make a move for. Whiteside led the NBA in blocks per game (3.7) and was among the best all-around defensive players in the Association last season.

He’s also a skilled offensive big man, as evidenced by the 14.2 points per game he averaged on 61 percent shooting from the field during a breakout 2015-16 campaign.

We know that the Heat have made it clear that their primary goal during the summer is to retain this former second-round pick (more on that here). Though, it might prove to be difficult, should he demand a max contract on the open market. If that happens, the Warriors will be more than ready to pounce.

Mentioned in this article:

More About: