3 Free Agent Targets for the Warriors
What Golden State can do to return to contender status
The Golden State Warriors were on top of the basketball world just last year, but their success has severely plummeted since then. After being eliminated in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors obviously need to make some changes to get back to contender status.
Their new general manager, Mike Dunleavy, is already off to a hot start by trading Jordan Poole for Chris Paul. The next step in the process is to sign free agents, which is more complex than it sounds.
Draymond Green is expected to be resigned on a $100 million deal, which limits the Warriors' possible free agent signing to strictly minimum deals. Still, there are plenty of players who would fit the team’s needs that I think the Warriors should go after.
1. Justin Holiday
Last season, Golden State’s backup shooting guard was primarily Donte DiVincenzo. But after declining his $4 million player option, DiVincenzo leaves the spot open for another player. In this case, I think the perfect replacement is Justin Holiday.
Throughout his career, Holiday is around 40% from the three-point line and would complement the Warriors’ play style with his ability to catch and shoot.
Additionally, Holiday is a solid perimeter defender with a defensive rating of 111.7 for his career. In comparison, Justin’s brother Jrue, who is regarded as one of the best defenders in the league, had a 112.4 defensive rating this past season (slightly worse than Justin’s).
2. Torrey Craig
Another player that the Golden State Warriors could really use is six-foot-seven forward Torrey Craig. Currently, the team’s backup small forward is Moses Moody, who doesn’t have the experience necessary for being a difference-maker on a championship team. Bringing in Torrey Craig would help to serve as a mentor for Moody and solve the team’s defensive issues.
In 36 minutes per game, Craig averaged one steal and a block per game. This shows his defensive potential and versatility, which the Warriors severely need. But Craig is more than just a defensive anchor. He can also shoot the ball at a very efficient rate, around 40%, and makes around one three per game. If I were Dunleavy, Craig would be my number one free-agent target.
3. Thomas Bryant
Thomas Bryant is one of those centers that does whatever his team needs to win and would be a perfect fit for the Golden State Warriors. He’s a six-foot-ten athletic big that can finish around the rim well and defend. In this past season, he averaged a solid 10 points and six rebounds per game on 62–44–74 shooting splits.
After trading for Chris Paul, it’s obvious that the Warriors need a big to complement Paul’s skillset. In the past, he always had a big man with that he could feed the ball (Deandre Ayton, Clint Capela, DeAndre Jordan, etc). Thomas Bryant could be the next center in line and would serve as the Warriors’ tallest player. A player comparison I would give to him would be Festus Ezeli.
These are who I think are the Golden State Warriors’ best free agent targets this offseason. Let me know in the comments your ideas on this take and who you think should have been on here. To see more articles just like this, please make sure to check my account linked below.
