After missing the NBA Playoffs for the third time in five years, things are going to change for the Golden State Warriors this summer.
Golden State has been linked to a couple big names on the NBA trade block. That includes a potential reunion with Kevin Durant.
Sure, another star to team up with Stephen Curry as he heads into the twilight of his career makes sense. That’s especially true with fellow four-time champion Klay Thompson having regressed big time last season and set to hit NBA free agency himself.
However, there is a specific priority head coach Steve Kerr and Co. are honing in on. Upgrades on defense.
“It’s not just about scheme and personnel. It’s also about how much better the rest of the league is. And how much different things are with the shooting and the pace. It’s just much, much harder to guard. There’s a reason the offensive ratings have skyrocketed,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area this week.
“But there’s no doubt we’ve got to be better defensively. We were good at a lot of things. We were. We were, not surprisingly, excellent when Draymond was healthy.”
Green’s importance to the Warriors’ success on defense is by now well known. In the 55 games that he played in last season Golden State would have ranked in the top-11 in defense rating. In the 27 games that Green was suspended or injured, the team posted a 121.1 defensive rating. That would’ve ranked dead last in the Association.
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The issue for Golden State is that it is hard-capped. This means that the team can’t sign a free agent for more than the veteran minimium.
Chris Paul has $30 million non-guaranteed salary for next season. He could be used as trade bait to bring in multiple veterans. Three-and-D wing Andrew Wiggins has been bandied about on the trade block. But he’s coming off a down season and is earning $27.25 million annually. It remains to be seen what type of value Wiggins has on the trade block.
Needless to say, stakes are high for general manager Mike Dunleavy and Co. this summer. The Warriors’ championship window is closing rapidly. They need to do work to keep it slightly ajar.