The Golden State Warriors are fresh off yet another Western Conference Championship despite not being able to deliver the dynastic franchise's fourth NBA title in the last five seasons.
However, Golden State may have finally reached the point of a transition as superstar forward Kevin Durant has since moved on to the Brooklyn Nets with veteran swingmen Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala and dominant big man DeMarcus Cousins also leaving town this offseason.
Even so, this is not your normal transition phase as the Warriors managed to retain All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson in addition to acquiring former Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell to add to the team's arsenal of sharpshooters led by two-time league MVP Stephen Curry.
Due to the shuffling of rosters throughout the league this offseason, there are still a few viable options out there for contending teams — the Warriors included. As a result, Golden State should consider signing at least three readily available free agents before the offseason officially concludes.
Vince Carter is now a whopping 42 years old while the legendary swingman insists that there is still something left in his tank. Looking to play yet another NBA season in 2019-20, Carter could serve as a useful cog for the Warriors going forward both on and off the court.
While Carter has shown that he can still play solid minutes over the course of the last few seasons, the future Hall of Famer would more importantly give the Warriors another veteran presence in the lockeroom with Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala heading elsewhere as both players previously served in such a role for Golden State.
Obviously Carter would not play huge minutes for a fast-paced Warriors team in 2019-20, but the seasoned scorer could give a revamped roster a much-needed idol to look up to along the way.
Lance Thomas
Although the New York Knicks had interest in bringing veteran small forward Lance Thomas back for another go-round in the “Big Apple,” it appears as though the lowly Eastern Conference franchise is finally ready to move on.
With that in mind, Thomas could have multiple suitors on the open market as the former Knicks swingman can provide a contending team with a solid two-way player that can both start in a pinch and come off the bench on a regular basis. Thomas has the rare ability to produce no matter what role he is thrust into, which could become a useful quality for the right team.
Speficially for Golden State, Thomas could help the Warriors when head coach Steve Kerr goes small as the seasoned swingman can be inserted at either the small forward or power forward positions.
Jonas Jerebko
Jonas Jerebko is, of course, the only one of these three players that the Warriors would be bringing back in this case. Jerebko spent last season in the Bay Area. Although Jerebko did not play major minutes for the aforementioned Kerr, the veteran swingman would be able to step right in upon returning to Golden State as he already knows the Warriors system having spent time with the franchise a season ago.
Granted Jerebko didn't spent a ton of time under the direction of Kerr, his experiences in Golden State — at a slim price — could become a useful factor sooner rather than later for the Warriors.
Editor's Note: The Warriors would have to move salary out to make another signing because they're currently right up against a hard cap.
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