Now that all the dust has settled, we grade the Warriors' off-season

The 2018-19 season was an uphill battle for the three-time champions. Whether battling injuries, chemistry, or free agency questions, the Warriors found a way, time and time again, to pull things together when it mattered most. This summer's offseason was no different.

Before free agency, Golden State was coming off of a Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors. The loss featured season-ending injuries to starting small forward Kevin Durant (Achilles) and starting shooting guard Klay Thompson (ACL) -- leading the Warriors into a free agency filled with questions.

Will Kevin Durant resign and how will he recover from his injury? Will Klay Thompson return from his injury during the 2020 season? How can the Warriors afford to keep the band together?

With the bulk of this summer's hectic free agency in the books, all of the questions that hung over the Warriors' heads were answered.

Kevin Durant chose to take his talents to Brooklyn to join Kyrie Irving. Andre Iguodala was traded away to Memphis to create cap space for a sign and trade with Brooklyn. To make room for Klay Thompson's max contract, the Warriors also had to let go of Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell, Jonas Jerebko, Damion Lee, DeMarcus Cousins, and Shaun Livingston.

The Warriors are entering this upcoming NBA season with a new cast supporting their dynamic core.

Leading the new cast is all-star guard, D'Angelo Russell. While Russell is coming off of his first all-star season, the combination of Russell and Curry can be a bit complicated--particularly on the defensive end.

Russell isn't known for pressuring up on the ball and is attacked by opposing teams the same way teams seek out Stephen Curry on switches. Steve Kerr will be tasked with figuring out how to play Curry and Russell at the same time without losing that defensive edge that has driven the Warriors to five straight finals appearances.

With that said, Russell is also a smooth scorer with the ability to go on self-scoring binges-- similar to that of Curry. In his four year career, Russell has shot 41% from the field and 35% from the 3pt line. Playing alongside Curry, who eliminates teams from being able to play help-side defense, will only elevate Russell's scoring ability. The Warriors' offense will also help propel Russell into an even more elite offensive threat.

Along with Russell, the Warriors added center Willie Cauley-Stein from the Sacramento Kings. Cauley-Stein is an athletic big, capable of playing the pick and roll-- which is the Warriors' bread and butter-- as well as defending the pick and roll. His versatility will give the Warriors the size and mobility needed to compete in today's NBA. The Dubs also signed Alec Burks and Glen Robinson III as well, giving their bench a punch of scoring and defense.

Rookie Jordan Poole can provide outside shooting and scrappy defense. Rookie Eric Paschall can add versatility to the Warriors' defense with the potential of developing into a point forward similar to Draymond Green. Rookie Alen Smailagic oozes potential, winning Serbian U19 MVP a little bit over a year ago, and will be allowed to showcase his skill with the Warriors this upcoming season.

More importantly, the Dubs managed to resign Center Kevon Looney-- who was a significant contributor in their 2019 Finals run.

The Warriors managed to fill in most of they lost at the beginning of free agency, but that doesn't guarantee the Warriors the Western Conference one seed, or even a top seed. The West continued to load up in the arms race, and the Warriors dropped a bit of ammunition.

The Finals exposed the Warriors' depth, or lack thereof, as the bench was compiled of inexperienced players and veterans inching towards retirement. The Warriors' signed promising role players, who are still inexperienced in terms of championship pedigree.

While Cousins' Warriors tenure was short-lived, seemingly in glimpses, those glimpses were promising. If healthy, he could've propelled the Warriors into being the overwhelming favorites they had been the past five years. Instead, he walked to Los Angeles to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Kevin Durant's departure can have lasting effects on the Warriors, as he made their Finals appearance seemingly inevitable. The Dubs very well could have been strong favorites without the play of Durant, but with Durant, they were automatically the favorite to hold the Larry O'Brien trophy year in and year out. His departure takes that certainty away, for now.

Even more important, the Warriors failed to keep the core five together. By that, I mean the core of Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala, and Kerr. If a 73-9 season, five straight Finals, and three championships don't tell you enough about that core's ability together, then their 84% winning percentage should.

Losing Iguodala is losing a middle piece to the puzzle. Iguodala was a jack of all trades for the Dubs during their five-year run. When they needed scoring, he provided, when they required defense he got the stop, when they needed a brother he walked Durant to the locker room after an apparent achilles rupture. The Warriors will find themselves hard-pressed to find someone to fill the hole that Iguodala's departure leaves.

Moving forward, the Warriors are still a threat in the West. As long as you have the heart and hustle of Draymond Green, the possible return of a Splash Brother, and a unanimous MVP ready to silencer doubters, you have a contender. The new pieces will make a new puzzle that will feature the now core four of Curry, Thompson, Green, and Kerr-- helping their offseason grade after losing so much.

Grade: B-