Warriors Sleeper Contracts to Pursue in NBA Free Agency
The Golden State Warriors will remain in the NBA championship conversation for as long as Stephen Curry calls the Bay Area his hoops home.
To move from its fringes to the forefront, though, the Dubs need to add depth this summer. That's a challenge in its own right, but the difficulty level goes way up when faced with the budget restrictions Golden State will shoulder.
Regardless what happens with Draymond Green, who holds a $27.6 million player option for next season, per Spotrac, the Warriors will have limited funds at their disposal. And if they're at all concerned with the limitations placed on big spenders by the new collective bargaining agreement, they'll have little more than pocket change to flesh out their roster.
Still, there are values to be found every summer, and the Dubs could see a great return on investment if they're able to reel in any of the following three players.
Jeff Green
1 of 3
When longtime contenders go bargain hunting, they'll often search for past-their-prime veterans in the hope those players have more to offer than the market believes.
Jeff Green could be one of those vets.
He'll turn 37 this offseason, so it's possible Father Time comes calling for him at any moment. But if the market misjudges the timing and degree of his decline, potential suitors might bail on the swingman sooner than they should.
That could be good news for Golden State if that happens.
Green remains a versatile scorer who can handle a decent variety of defensive assignments. And if the Warriors can help him get his three-ball back—30.5 percent the past two seasons, 41.2 the campaign prior—they would have a helpful, two-way piece off the bench.
Georges Niang
2 of 3
There's no such thing as having too much shooting in the modern NBA. Not that you need to explain that to the Warriors.
With so much of their offense revolving around high pick-and-rolls with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, they understand the importance of having maximum spacing around their signature set.
An elite shooter such as Georges Niang should rank high up on the wish list in that case.
His stroke is so pure that he could push the Splash Brothers in post-practice shooting competitions. That sounds hyperbolic, but he's a knockdown marksman. He has yet to shoot below 40 percent from three since becoming a rotation regular in 2018-19.
The Warriors' hope would be that the market views Niang as a spacing specialist and nothing else. If that keeps his pay rate reasonable, they should pounce knowing he could help not only with his outside shot but also his quick processing and underrated passing.
Justise Winslow
3 of 3
Some Golden State fans might laugh off this suggestion, and that's fine. Justise Winslow's problems with injury and inconsistency go way back, and if he hadn't entered this league in such prominent fashion (the No. 10 pick in 2015), maybe he wouldn't even be an afterthought anymore.
Hoping for a clean bill of health is a long-shot wager at best, but that will be baked into the cost of his next contract. That means there won't be a ton of risk, but there could be a sneaky-good potential for a reward.
If the 27-year-old ever stays healthy, he still has plenty to offer a team. He's a limited scoring threat, sure, but he's also a 6'6" playmaker who can handle just about anything thrown his way on the defensive end.
Even if Golden State simply kept him on the floor as a shape-shifting stopper, he could earn his keep. If the Warriors found ways to utilize his slashing and table-setting, though, Winslow could play above his pay grade.
