Off of a superb regular season and an even better playoff run, the Golden State Warriors are having the best offseason thus far. Did they sign a “superstar”? No, but they did make some high-quality moves that can elevate them to an even higher level…. Who would’ve thought!
First off they made necessary moves in re-signing their key role guys. David West decided to return for another year which will most likely be his last. He came to Golden State to get a ring which he did but it looks like he’s looking to repeat and retire a champion. They also re-signed both Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. Livingston and Iguodala could’ve gone elsewhere and got paid but they obviously preferred winning over money which is why I believe they stayed. Keeping these two guys was crucial because they are staples in Golden State’s bench and their team success. Andre Iguodala is a former Final’s MVP who locks in on defense and Shaun Livingston is a valuable player who knows and appreciates his role.
What also can’t get overlooked in this is the unselfishness of Kevin Durant to take a pay cut to make a lot of this happen. He agreed to a 2-year deal taking about 10 million less than what he was eligible for which gave the Warriors the room to pull off these moves.
The Golden State Warriors were also able to give Stephen Curry the biggest contract in NBA history. 201 Million over 5 years is a well-deserved contract. Back-to-back MVPs, one being unanimous along with 2-championships, it was only right that he received a contract of that magnitude.
They also came off like a bandit in their two major free agency pickups. The best three-point shooting team in the league added more shooting in signing Omri Casspi and Nick Young. These two can be two quality bench guys who can fit right into their system especially as catch and shoot players.
With the addition of Nick Young, the Warriors have 4 of the top 9 players in Effective FG pct on catch & shoot plays last season. pic.twitter.com/RJTgozpUaE
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 6, 2017
Some may look at a guy like Nick Young who has had some questionable moments in his career and wonder how he would fit. But a change of scenery does a lot for a player and I believe you will see a different Nick Young on this team. We saw him more serious last season as he locked in defensively and shot the ball well for the Los Angeles Lakers and I’m looking forward to seeing his progression with the Golden State Warriors.
The only thing left for the Warriors to do this off-season is to re-sign JaVale McGee. He’s currently going on his recruiting trip, meeting with various teams but I think it’s in the best interest of Golden State to re-sign him. Despite not being much of a factor in the NBA Finals, he had some bright moments during the regular season and the playoffs as well. McGee’s size is something that they can use and his ability to catch lobs is something that they thrived from last season. Many questioned his signing coming into the season but he proved his value and how well he fits in this system.
