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The Golden State Warriors are officially back, shoving their championship window wide open once again after taking down the Boston Celtics in six games to win a fourth Larry O'Brien Trophy in eight seasons.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson aren't going anywhere, obviously, re-cementing themselves as one of the greatest trios of all time. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are eligible for extensions this summer they clearly expect to get, but Golden State maintains team control over both until the end of next season either way. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are locked into rookie deals for at least the next two seasons.
Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II are free agents, but the Warriors will definitely be able to bring them back as long as owner Joe Lacob is comfortable writing an even bigger luxury tax check. Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica also hit the open market this summer, while Andre Iguodala could be bound for retirement.
Porter has made over $125 million in his career already, but could try to capitalize on the afterglow of winning a title by seeking a multi-year payday bigger than what Golden State could offer him with the taxpayer's mid-level exception, let alone non-Bird rights. Bjelica's market will likely be tepid enough to retain him should the front office so desire. Iguodala's future, perhaps as a player-mentor in the vein of Udonis Haslem, is no doubt up to him.
The Warriors' existing playoff rotation will remain at least closely intact in 2022-23, basically, with multiple gifted young players trying to force their way into it. But just because Golden State doesn't currently have any gaping roster holes or significant financial wiggle room hardly means general manager Bob Myers and company will be focusing solely on their own free agents come July 1st.
Here are three potential targets in free agency for the newly-minted champs.
3 targets for Warriors in 2022 NBA free agency after winning championship
P.J. Tucker
Boston's defense was one of the best ever after January 1st, then put all-court clamps on the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat en route to the NBA Finals. Incredibly, Golden State outplayed Ime Udoka's team on that side of the ball with the championship on the line, their collective smarts, activity and length keeping the young Celtics in the mud offensively.
Even so, Tucker would represent a significant upgrade for the Warriors' defense, an all-position stopper whose presence would allow Draymond Green to wreak havoc off the ball full-time and keep Klay Thompson fresh for when the games matter most. The 37-year-old reinvented himself with the Heat on offense last season, too, expanding his limits as a short-roll finisher and close-out attacker after being pigeonholed into a spot-up three-point shooting role—almost exclusively from the corners—with the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets.
Tucker will surely command more in free agency than the $6.3 million starting salary the Warriors could offer him with the taxpayer's mid-level exception. He's also in the twilight of his career despite continuing to stave off Father Time, though. If Tucker wants his best shot at another championship ring, taking a discount to chase a title in the Bay would no doubt he his best option.
Dismissed from the Orlando bubble in 2020 after breaking protocols by bringing an unauthorized guest to the Walt Disney World Campus, House started to find his footing in the league once again in 2021-22. He caught on for good with the Utah Jazz after being signed to a pair of 10-day contracts in January, eventually emerging as their most effective primary defender of Luka Doncic in another disappointing playoff flameout.
At 29, House still has the combination of size and athleticism needed to affect the game in multiple ways on both sides of the ball, especially after buying into a defense-first role with the Jazz. He also shot a solid 39.2% on catch-and-shoot triples this season, per NBA.com/stats, his best mark since breaking into a rotation role for the first time in 2018-19 with Houston.
House may find it in his best interest to seek consistent playing time and long-term money now. He's only played on a salary above the minimum for two seasons, earning less than $11 million in his career to date. If his market settles in around the TPMLE and the Warriors part with Porter, House could really benefit from signing a two-year contract in Golden State for $12.9 million that contains a second-year player option, getting back to free agency next summer after proving himself with a title contender.
Disclaimer: All signs point to Batum returning to the LA Clippers. He's already said he wants to back with Ty Lue, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and opting out of his current deal to hit free agency would allow the Frenchman to re-up in LA with Early Bird Rights, on a starting salary of roughly $12 million—nearly double the amount Golden State could realistically offer him.
But it's no secret that Batum seriously considered signing with the Warriors last summer, and they'll enter next season as favorites to defend their championship. The Clippers could be Golden State's toughest competition if Leonard and George can maintain full health simultaneously and for the season's duration, hardly a guarantee.
Could Batum, 33, elect to chase his first ring with Golden State instead? Given his absolutely ideal fit in Kerr's system as an intelligent, multi-positional defender, canny ball-mover and ever-willing three-point shooter, it's certainly worth the Warriors asking.
