The Golden State Warriors have nowhere to go but up. After finishing the 2019-2020 with a league-worst 15-50 record and missing the NBA Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, the Warriors will enter the new season with high expectations as they welcome a mix of new and familiar faces.
The Achilles injury suffered by Klay Thompson undoubtedly hurt Golden State’s chances of challenging the Los Angeles Lakers for supremacy in the Western Conference. However, general manager Bob Myers and the front office have done a good job of acquiring promising young players and battle-tested veterans to surround returning two-time MVP Steph Curry and fellow All Star Draymond Green.
The Warriors acquired players through trades and free agency, but their first move of the offseason was selecting big man James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. There was speculation that the Dubs would trade the pick along with other players and assets in order to acquire another All Star, but they ended up keeping Wiseman, who should thrive alongside Curry and Green and make an immediate impact for Golden State.
The 19-year old played just three games for the Memphis Tigers in the NCAA last season, averaging 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and three blocks while shooting 76.9% from the field. With Golden State, he’ll also be asked to score around the basket, rebound, and protect the rim like he did with the Tigers, and the Nashville, Tennessee native should be one of the most exciting rookies to watch next season.
When reports of Thompson’s season-ending injury emerged, the Warriors quickly made moves to try to replace his impending absence in the team’s lineup. One of those moves was trading for Kelly Oubre, who they acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a conditional 2021 first round pick and a 2021 second round pick. Oubre, who played for the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns before being shipped to Oklahoma City as part of the Chris Paul trade, averaged a career-high 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals last season, while shooting 45.2% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc.
While he is no Thompson, a five-time All Star and one of the greatest shooters the league has ever seen, the 24-year old should be able to help the Warriors, as he has improved his numbers every year since entering the league in 2015 and has shown that he can make an impact on both ends. Getting the former Kansas Jayhawk for a conditional first rounder and second rounder is also a steal, especially since that first round pick will likely turn into multiple second round picks in next year’s draft with the Warriors returning into contention.
Oubre himself thinks that joining Golden State will be the best fit for him, and it’s interesting to see how playing alongside Curry, Green, Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins will help his improvement. Golden State acquired Oubre as a stop gap while Thompson recovers from injury, but as a young player who can score and defend, he may end up being a fixture for the team in the years to come.
Drafting Wiseman and trading for Oubre brings new faces to the Bay, but the team also made a move to welcome back a familiar face in Kent Bazemore, who the team signed to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. After going undrafted out of Old Dominion in the 2012 Draft, Bazemore found himself playing for the Warriors for two seasons before being traded in 2014, just before the team embarked on a remarkable run of three titles and five straight Finals appearances. Now, the 31-year old will be reunited with former teammates Curry and Green, and should be able to help them with his scoring, shooting, and defense.
Bazemore, who played with the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Sacramento Kings before going back to the Warriors, averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals, while shooting 37.5% from the field and 34.4% from downtown while playing for the Blazers and Kings. Acquiring him for just $2.6 million was a bargain, especially since it doesn't hurt the team's flexibility to acquire other players in the future. The nine-year veteran will likely be the Warriors’ sixth man, and his ability to score from the perimeter and versatility on defense makes him a solid addition to a Warriors team looking to return to contention.
Aside from Bazemore, the Dubs also added another player to bolster their backcourt in the Boston Celtics’ Brad Wanamaker, who they signed to a one year, $2.25 million deal. Wanamaker, who went undrafted in the 2011 Draft and played for different teams in Europe before finding his way to the NBA, played the last two seasons for the Celtics. Last season, the 31-year old guard averaged 6.9 points, two rebounds, 2.5 assists while shooting 44.8 % from the field and 36.3% from three-point range.
In Wanamaker, the Warriors get a veteran who should be able to provide quality minutes once Curry rests. But while he is a capable defender, he does not provide much on the offensive end compared to other guards that the team could have acquired, and the Warriors could have found better options for Curry’s backup than the veteran guard.
Overall, after their worst season in recent memory, the Warriors should enter the new season with heightened expectations, especially with the return of Curry. Their new additions in Wiseman, Oubre, Bazemore, and Wanamaker should put them in the mix for one of the top four seeds in Western Conference in what will likely be an interesting playoff race. The injury of Thompson casts some doubt on their status as serious title contenders, but the additions made by the front office should ensure that the Warriors should return to their status as one of the top teams in the West next season.
Offseason Grade: B+
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