It certainly is a golden time in the “Golden State”!
Former Utes Superstar and NBA’s #1 Draft pick Andrew Bogut’s NEVER felt this good!
He and his Warriors’ teammates celebrating an NBA Championship in the Bay Area for the first time in 40 years!
Certainly an unforgetable 10 weeks in NoCal and the Bay Area, but what happens next? How do the Warriors plan to defend their NBA Title?
Wheeling/Dealing
The champagne was still bubbling when the most obvious roster adjustment surfaced. Former All Star David Lee who never complained despite getting buried on the Warriors bench (before emerging half way through the Finals, helping to create more movement and offense in a suddenly stagnant Dubs offense) and it’s obvious the highest paid player on the Golden State roster ( at $15,011) by more than $3 million dollars AND owed $15.4 next season in the last year of his contract has to go unless head coach Steve Kerr envisioned Lee’s role increasing and solidifying and that’s not happening.
Part of the extremely popular narrative of this Warriors championship run is, like the Spurs, it’s a medium market team emerging triumphant! Golden State team payroll ($73,611166) ranks 14th in the 30-tam NBA, a fat $14 Million behind the biggest money wasters, the Brooklyn Nets featuring the cement suit-like $43.5 mill they still owe Deron Williams for the next 2 seasons!
David Lee’s the 2nd longest tenured player on the roster, set to make $15.4 mill in the final year of his deal this coming season, he’d be the 2nd highest paid Warrior behind Klay Thompson and obviously the Warriors want to get out from underneath that immense contract and in the last few days have indicated because of the great respect they have for Lee (best buddies with MVP Steph Curry) the Dubs want to find Lee the best possible landing spot.
What else will GM Bob Myers do? He’s make it clear they expect to keep all the key players among them Marreese Speights ($3.8 M Team Option) Brandon Rush figures to be back unless he can improve on the ($1.27 M Player Option) final year of his contract. The only other rotation player up in the air is Leandro Barbosa, who played well off the bench in the last 2 games of the Finals. Averaging 8 minutes, 9 points and shooting 60%, Barbosa’s a Free Agent and could command more than the $1.44 M he made this season with the Dubs.
Improving Through the Draft
In what area are the Warriors deepest? Shooting? Steve Kerr must think they’ll never have enough shooters. Chad Ford’s latest Mock has the Dubs taking Stanford’s 6’7″ “WingBling” Shooting Guard Anthony Brown. Here’s what Ford says about Brown.
The Warriors, believe it or not, are looking for more shooting in their backcourt. When Steph Curry or Klay Thompson sit, they’d like someone who could come in and make open shots. Brown shot 45 percent from 3 as a junior and 44 percent this past season, and has very good size for his position.
