It’s draft day in the NBA, which means that plenty of teams are getting ready to make moves - or, if they’re like the New York Knicks, are already making them with big trades and contract extensions to go all in now. The Warriors have been at the center of plenty of speculation going into the offseason as they try and find direction towards another title in Stephen Curry’s dwindling window, but things have been heating up lately with a myriad of rumors up in the air.
Read MoreThe Warriors have certainly not had the busiest free agency period among NBA teams this offseason, but they have made a few moves designed to add a veteran presence to a squad that received some criticism last season for being too young and inexperienced. They started by bringing in capable shooters in Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica. More recently, they brought back Andre Iguodala, a strong defender and ballhandler who proved himself to be both a fan favorite and a vocal leader during his previous tenure in Golden State, which lasted from 2013 to 2019. Although the team missed out on other targets, such as Nicolas Batum and Patty Mills, all three acquisitions appear at least on paper to upgrade the roster.
Read MoreHe’s back.
It was early Friday morning when Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times tweeted out the news that Andre Iguodala would be returning to the team in which he had won three championship with.
Read MoreTrade exceptions.
You might have heard of them from NBA 2k or from a Shams Charania tweet, but it isn’t totally obvious what they are. However, if you follow a team like the Warriors – which seem to always be in the middle of trade rumors – understanding what a traded player exception is could potentially be extremely relevant, and exciting.
Now, the same could be in play for Kelly Oubre Jr., with the topic brought up in the Warriors Off-Season 2021 Primer, posted by u/perksofthesewalls in r/warriors.
Wes Goldberg from the Mercury News reported Bob Myers wants Oubre back, and despite his benching, Oubre has a good relationship with the Warriors’ organization. So, if Oubre ends up wanting to leave via a sign-and-trade, Golden State still does not want to lose him for nothing – and they could leverage their good standing with the wing to get the traded player exception in return.
Read MoreWith Golden State’s most recent signings, they’ve been able to fill out their roster with some much-needed help: Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr. join the team on minimum salaries, bringing very good shooting, solid defense, and rebounding – if they can remain healthy. The Warriors still have one trick left in the bag in their taxpayer midlevel exception, allowing them to sign another player to a $5.9 million contract to pick up some insurance.
The problem arises, as The Athletic’s Warriors writer Anthony Slater pointed out on the radio this week, in how much the Dubs will actually have to spend if they sign another free agent using the TPMLE:
Read MoreAfter an eventful start to the NBA free agency, it’s time for the Warriors to make some moves. Myers has $5.9 million through the taxpayer mid-level exception and he needs to use it. Don’t let it go to waste, you have no excuse to do so.
The Warriors need some more veteran leadership through these positions: a play-making guard and a frontcourt depth piece that can stretch the floor. With players like Patty Mills and Nicolas Batum gone, it’s starting to look like slim-pickings but I still see a few available players that would be good fits in the Bay Area.
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