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Golden State Warriors face difficult challenges to upgrade roster

The Golden State Warriors were absent from the 2020 postseason after stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson sustained season-ending injuries. This left Draymond Green to fend for himself with a roster of rookies and cast-offs. While this was an opportunity for Green to assert himself as more than a role player, the 30-year-old could not make any noise as the lone star. Golden State sputtered to a 15-50 record, earning the number two overall pick in the upcoming draft.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom in The Bay.

The Warriors did manage to unearth second-round pick Eric Paschall. Taken with the 41st selection, the 23-year-old was a bright spot averaging 14 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 49.7 percent shooting, earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team. One wonders if Paschall’s production was symptomatic of being on a bad team so time will tell if he can produce in a low usage role. He was poor from three (28.7 percent) and exhibited a varying focus on defense. It will be interesting to see what he will become moving forward.

While the return of Curry and Thompson will certainly propel Golden State back to relevance, the Warriors front office has a ton of work to do. Let’s take a look at the challenges they face as the franchise angles toward competing for another title.

Golden State Warriors Face Difficult Challenges to Upgrade Roster

Unintended Consequences of the Kevin Durant Trade

The Kevin Durant sign-and-trade to the Brooklyn Nets for D’Angelo Russell effectively handcuffed the Golden State Warriors to its current situation.  To prevent Durant from leaving for nothing, the Warriors elected to bring a temporary max deal on board. Anyone could see that Russell was the odd-man-out and Golden State’s agenda was obvious – he was a pawn to flip down the line. Prior to the 2020 trade deadline, Minnesota and Golden State did business.

Deemed as a masterstroke, the Warriors turned Durant into Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 first-round and 2021 second-round pick. So heading into this Free Agency, Golden State has:

  • a top-two pick in the 2020 draft
  • two selections in the 2021 draft
  • 2022 and 2023 first-rounders
  • Seven future second-round picks

However, Golden State was required to eat Wiggins remaining four-years, $118-million (approximately). With his deal on the books, the Warriors will pay an estimated $129-million to just four players. While the deal garnered assets, it has completely decimated its books with 11 roster spots still to fill.

Logic suggests Golden State will look to move Wiggins for a bigger piece but finding suitors for his deal is near impossible. Minnesota tried to find a new home for the former number one pick the last two seasons but he possesses one of the worst contracts in the NBA.

Tax Implications

Contrary to what some say, owners do not like to pay the luxury tax. While the Warriors have earned billions of dollars the past five years – increased revenue doesn’t equal increased willingness to pay tax. As it stands, Golden State will pay approximately $49 million in 2020-21 and $40 million in 2021-22. If they elect to use their $17.1 million Trade Exception, the Warriors are staring down the barrel of a $100 million tax bill this season alone.

Moving forward, if the Warriors sign 11 players to minimum deals, their tax bill will easily clear $100 million for the foreseeable future assuming they don’t make any moves. Curry receives his last extension in 2022-23 so the bill is set to skyrocket.

Roster Construction

One of the biggest needs for Golden State is wings. Right now, the roster has Thompson, Wiggins, and a host of second-round picks. Teams throughout the NBA are loaded with three and D type wings, built to defend what the Warriors were first known for.

If you look at their rosters of yesteryear, Golden State possessed a number of good-to-great level defenders. Durant and Andre Iguodala are two notable difference-makers no longer with the team. Iguodala was the team’s Finals MVP in 2015 while Durant is universally considered one of the top two players in the entire league.

Additionally, the Warriors were loaded with high-level veterans during their championship runs. Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut, David Lee, David West, DeMarcus Cousins, and Leandro Barbosa are some names who featured heavily in their rotations. As it sits, the Warriors have no veterans of this quality. This aspect is often overlooked by fans but was essential to the team’s success from 2015 -2018.

To ascend back to true contender status, Golden State will need to upgrade across the board. Second-round picks aren’t going to cut it no matter how great Curry and Thompson are.

2020 NBA Draft

Having the second overall pick is a tremendous asset but this draft is extremely even across the board. While pundits have agreed there are a number of sleepers and solid role players, elite-level talent appears to be missing. Scout teams must be at their absolute best to identify the diamond in this class. For the Warriors, what they choose to do is pivotal to the team’s direction.

Trading back in the draft is a viable option particularly if they can acquire multiple picks. The Boston Celtics have three picks in the first round of the 2020 draft. Danny Ainge and the Celtics have the opposite problem to the Warriors where they have too many players and not enough roster spots. Boston is poised to contend for the next decade around centerpieces Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. The Celtics will likely go for a title sooner rather than later thus a trade of picks with them makes sense.

If Golden State elects to use the second-pick, prospect Deni Avdija is intriguing but he doesn’t help them defensively. He is also a wing with a questionable shot. Avdija shot 43.6 percent from the field, 27.7 percent from three, and 55 percent from the line in Israel. The Israeli is a nice player but not one that upgrades Golden State at 19-years-old.

Possessing the number two pick is still an asset but their life is made that much harder with how even the 2020 draft is.

Golden State Warriors Conclusion

The Warriors are a quality organization that recognizes their window will close in the next four to five seasons. Maximizing Curry, Thompson, and Green’s primes is the priority. It’s going to take some juggling but Golden State has shown in the past they can make moves with the best of them. With Jerry West now with the Los Angeles Clippers, it’s going to be more difficult than years past.

It’s a scenario that should be exciting to see play out.

Main Image: Embed from Getty Images

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