Top Priorities for Golden State Warriors During 2015 Offseason
The Golden State Warriors are in for a tremendously busy offseason, and Thursday’s NBA draft is just the tip of the iceberg.
In addition to getting their 2015 draft choice acclimated to the Bay Area, general manager Bob Myers and the rest of the Warriors front office will have in-house free agents to take care of—Draymond Green being chief among them.
They’ll also be tasked with finding a new home for the man who fell victim to Green’s emergence this season. And let’s not forget the void Alvin Gentry left on Steve Kerr’s staff when he agreed to become the New Orleans Pelicans’ newest head coach.
It seems like just yesterday when Golden State was hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy following a 105-97 series-clinching win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But now it’s time to get back to work.
Re-Sign Draymond Green
Bringing back jack-of-all-trades forward Draymond Green should be at the top of Golden State’s summer to-do list.
With Green set to become a restricted free agent July 1, the Warriors will have the right to match any and all offers the former Michigan State Spartans star receives from other clubs.
But judging by Green’s comments after the NBA Finals, it’s possible that it never comes to that. “I think we can continue to do this [compete for championships] for years to come,” Green told the Bay Area News Group’s Tim Kawakami. “I’ll be here. I love this group of guys.”
According to Myers, the feeling is mutual. “Tell the Warriors fans they shouldn’t worry,” the GM stated plainly to the San Jose Mercury News’ Jeff Faraudo. “I can’t comment, per league rules, on that specific question [re-signing Green]. The only thing I can say is we really like our core.”
Although Myers is essentially sworn to secrecy, it would be absolutely shocking if the Warriors let Green walk in free agency. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up averaged career highs across the board during the regular season and went on to tally 13.7 points, 10.1 boards, 5.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game during the playoffs.
Players like Green are becoming more and more valuable as the league continues to shift toward positionless, pace-and-space styles of play. It would make no sense to let go of him now.
Trade David Lee
Thanks to a couple of nagging hamstring injuries that he sustained during training camp—as well as Green’s superior play—David Lee fell out of the Warriors' rotation early on and never managed to find his way back in.
Fortunately for Golden State, Lee never made a peep about his lack of playing time. But now that the season has reached its completion, the former All-Star will work with the organization to find a better opportunity elsewhere.
As ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports, “The Warriors have privately acknowledged to Lee and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, that it would be unfair to the former All-Star to ask him to continue to serve in a limited role next season after Lee accepted his diminished minutes without complaint all season.”
No reports of possible landing spots for Lee have surfaced up to this point, but the Dubs shouldn’t have much trouble finding a trade partner. At 32 years old, he still has plenty left in the tank, as evidenced by the 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per 36 minutes he put up this past year.
Even if he fails to post those kinds of numbers, though, his roughly $15.5 million expiring contract should be considered an asset in and of itself, especially with the cap set to explode in 2016 and again in 2017.
Replace Alvin Gentry
Now that Gentry is set to begin his tenure as head coach of the Pelicans, the Warriors will have to figure out who his replacement will be. However, that’s going to be easier said than done.
Many considered the 60-year-old coaching veteran to be the man behind Golden State’s dominant offense, helping Kerr in any way he could during his inaugural year.
“He’s had a tremendous impact on the success of our team this season and, personally, has been instrumental in my development as a coach," Kerr said, per Brett Martel of the Associated Press (via NBA.com). "His experience as a head coach in the NBA has been invaluable during my first season and will, likewise, serve the Pelicans well as they move forward.”
With a full season as a head coach under his belt, Kerr should be able to keep Gentry’s offensive schemes alive. But that doesn’t mean he won’t need someone in his ear to give him second opinions.
Currently, the team hasn't announced any candidates to potentially replace Gentry. But according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears, former Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw could be interested in the gig.
Rather than hire Shaw, though, it might make more sense to give someone like Mike D’Antoni a serious look. After all, Gentry credited his former seven-seconds-or-less guru with laying the groundwork for Golden State’s offense, per B/R's Howard Beck:
D’Antoni was extremely successful as the lead man for the Phoenix Suns, but he was unable to recreate the same kind of results for the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
Tim MacLean is a Featured Columnist for the Golden State Warriors here at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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