Golden State: Open Season to Hunt for Free Agents

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Another off-season, another opportunity to shop around for new blood to either jump start a franchise from obscurity or take an established organization to another level. For the Golden State Warriors, it’s the former of the two options that they are seeking.

It’s not that they are a talent-less team; far from it actually. It’s even safe to say that they have more promise then most of the bottom tier teams in the league. They have a winning coach in Don Nelson, an entertaining style of basketball that makes them very fan friendly, and a group of young players that are just waiting to blossom into their primes together.

The problem that the Warriors are having is that with so many young players, they still have not figured out how to win consistently. Injuries hampered the teams progress last season with key starters like Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Al Harrington sitting out in for extended periods of time. With a little more luck health-wise and some veteran leadership, this team could be a threat to make the playoffs.

Here are some free agents that may potentially help the Warriors:

1. Jason Kidd (PG) — Can you imagine Kidd running and gunning in Nelson’s free-wheeling system? The team would be able to score 110-plus points in every game, thriving off his court vision and three-point shooting. Not to mention, he will be playing in front of his hometown crowd, which would energize the grizzled veteran even more. I know Stephen Curry is the future at point, but throwing him in as a starter when he only had one year of real point guard experience in college is too much to ask of the young Curry. With Kidd initially taking on the starters minutes, Curry can learn from one of the greatest pure point guards of the era, and integrate Kidd’s game into his own.

2. Lamar Odom (F) — The definition of versatility that Don Nelson loves in his players. Odom can drive the ball past slower, bigger forwards, post-up smaller forwards, handle the ball, make great passes, and drain the occasional outside shot. Oh, and he’s also a talented rebounder that uses his length to great advantage on defense. Sure, the Warriors have Brandon Wright and Anthony Randolph with great upside. With Odom in the lineup however, the Warriors get what they hope those two forwards will become in the future. With Wright and Randolph on the bench, the Warriors also strengthen their front court rotation.

3. Shawn Marion (F) —

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