Golden State Warriors: Biggest Free Agent and Draft Targets This Offseason

2012 was mostly forgettable for the Golden State Warriors.  A rash of injuries plagued the
pride of the Bay Area.  Franchise player Monta Ellis was dealt to Milwaukee for center Andrew Bogut, who has yet to debut for the Warriors.  First-year (and first time ever) head coach Mark Jackson failed to change the fortune of the ne’er do well Warriors. 

Last but not least, the team allegedly tanked down the stretch to give themselves the best possible chance of keeping their draft pick.  Golden State’s first round pick will go to Utah unless it falls within the top seven picks.  In what seemed to be the only break that went the Warriors way this year, the team won a coin flip with Toronto and is slotted to pick seventh barring any major draft lottery shakeups. 

Assuming Golden State hangs onto their own pick, they'll have a tough decision to make between several deserving players, and will also look to free agency to replace departing players and to upgrade weak positions.  Here are Golden State’s biggest targets both in the draft and in free agency. 

Perry Jones

Two words flash in the brightest neon when you look at Baylor swingman Perry Jones: size and athleticism.  Jones has the two most important raw tools that could potentially make him an absolute nightmare on the defensive side of the ball.  His quickness is rarely owned by a baller of his size, and his explosiveness makes getting to the rim a simple chore. 

Jones’ potential may be as high or higher than any of his other pending draftees, but Jones is still very much a work in progress.  Jones would still be a welcome addition to a Golden State team that saw athletic project Ekpe Udoh get sent to Milwaukee as part of the Monta Ellis/Andrew Bogut swap. 

Goran Dragic

If you’re a Warriors fan and are sensitive to even the faintest perceived slight against Stephen Curry, brace yourself.  Curry is undeniably talented but cannot stay on the court to save his life.  He’s also far from your prototypical point guard. 

The Warriors possess a great deal of talent overall, but it just doesn’t seem to be cohesive enough to function together well.  A more prototypical point guard like Goran Dragic could open up Golden State’s offense and ratchet up the Warriors’ efficiency level significantly. 

Dragic is coming off a dynamite second-half of the 2012 season, and is a relatively young 25 for a free agent sans restriction.  Dragic’s ability to drop double-digit dimes on any given night would provide a significant boost to Golden State’s playoff hopes. 

Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes appears to be the ideal NBA small forward.  Barnes has more than sufficient height (6’8”), length, mobility, athleticism and he has a sweet stroke.  Barnes’ ability to hit open jumpers would allow for a myriad of offensive possibilities for Golden State, from a variety of different transition looks to pick and pop opportunities. 

Barnes does need a facilitating point guard to be at maximum offensive efficiency, as he has significant struggles creating his own shot.  If Golden State snags Barnes in the draft, they should seriously consider asking owner Joe Lacob to open his wallet and shell out the necessary cash for a pure point guard. 

Steve Nash

Hey, just because he probably won’t go there doesn’t mean Golden State shouldn’t trip over themselves to offer Nash a contract.  Nash has shown what he can do in an up-tempo offense, as evidenced by his MVP trophies earned while filling up the stat sheets in Mike D’Antoni’s offense in Phoenix. 

Nash would be the distributor Golden State so desperately lacks and, is still enough of a dead-eye shooter to take Golden State’s transition game to bigger and better places. 

While it’s true that he is going to be searching earnestly for a contender, the addition of Nash to the Warriors would send them rocketing up the Western Conference power rankings. 

Kendall Marshall

If Golden State passes on Barnes, they very well could snag his UNC teammate Kendall Marshall instead. 

Marshall is the very definition of the word “distributor.”  His passing skills, court vision and sense of timing make Marshall a point guard who can’t help but make his teammates better.  His lack of athleticism and reliable jump shot are more than made up for by his superb floor generalship. 

Ironically enough, Marshall is often given an NBA comparison to current Golden State coach Mark Jackson, a fact that can only help his chances of ending up in a Warriors uniform. 

Like the previous point guards mentioned, Golden State even looking their way is all predicated on conceding the fact that Stephen Curry can’t stay healthy and is not a true point guard.  A backcourt with Curry and any of the aforementioned point guards is reason for long-suffering Warrior fans to have more than just a faint glimmer of hope.