It's good to be the King.
Or in the Warriors' case, the Kings of the NBA.
The reigning champs head into an offseason where they have a number of role players like Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter that will be free agents. Maintaining continuity will be key for the Warriors but general manager Bob Myers is a realist and knows that Golden State may not be able to bring everybody back.
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"Sometimes the money doesn't line up for us or them, and then you move on," Myers said at his pre-draft press conference. "But our goal, our hope, is to bring all those guys back and try to do it again. They were all great in different ways and all fill different needs for us and all played — a lot of our free agents had big moments in the NBA Finals, which means they're pretty important."
So can the Warriors actually bring back their full squad and potentially sign other free agents? Let's break it down.
How much cap space do the Warriors have?
The Warriors are over the cap and will carry a luxury-tax bill this offseason.
However, the Warriors are committed to spend as team owner Joe Lacob has been more than OK paying for a championship team.
- Actual Cap Space: -$81.2M
- Luxury Tax Space: -$27.2M
- Projected Signing Exceptions: Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception ($6,392,000)
"Joe has always wanted to win," Myers said. "We'll look and see what we can do and I'll ask Joe what he would authorize, but there is a limit. It's not limitless. I would like it to be limitless, but trust me, it's not. You've got to have some constraints on a salary."
Who on the 2021-2022 Warriors will be a free agent?
More than half of Golden State's championship-winning roster will be a free agent this offseason.
Potential free agents:
- Nemanja Bjelica (unrestricted)
- Chris Chiozza (unrestricted – Two-Way)
- Andre Iguodala (unrestricted)
- Damion Lee (unrestricted)
- Kevon Looney (unrestricted)
- Gary Payton II (unrestricted)
- Otto Porter Jr. (unrestricted)
- Juan Toscano-Anderson (restricted)
- Quinndary Weatherspoon (restricted – Two-Way)
Players under contract:
- Stephen Curry
- Draymond Green
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Moses Moody
- Jordan Poole
- Klay Thompson
- Andrew Wiggins
- James Wiseman
- Patrick Baldwin Jr.
The No. 44 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ryan Rollins, could potentially also be under contract but he has yet to sign with the franchise.
Potential free agent targets for Warriors
Even though the Warriors are over the cap and will be paying a luxury-tax bill, they can use their mid-level exception and the Bird rights they have over certain players to re-sign key rotation pieces.
Aside from retaining their own free agents, Golden State will likely seek impactful players willing to come in on veteran's minimum contracts. The potential of winning an NBA championship could be incentive enough for some players to take such a deal to join the Warriors.
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Frontcourt
Dewayne Dedmon | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 32
Dedmon stands at 7 feet and, though he'll be 33 next season, has fewer than 500 regular-season games on his body.
Last season, Dedmon averaged 6.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over 67 games with the Heat, proving to be a valuable frontcourt asset for Miami. Dedmon could contribute for around 15 minutes as insurance in case Looney walks or to help Wiseman ease back into things after a long layoff.
Isaiah Hartenstein | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 24
Hartenstein is young, cerebral and coming off a season in which he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 68 games with the Clippers.
The 24-year-old's skill and feel for the game make him a perfect candidate for the Warriors, though he may command a bit more than the veteran's minimum. Hartenstein could be a candidate for the mid-level exception if some of Golden State's free agents decide to walk.
Serge Ibaka | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 32
A back injury spoiled Ibaka's first season with the Clippers and ultimately led to his being traded to the Bucks this past season.
Ibaka is just three years removed from winning his first championship but this past season, had fallen out of Milwaukee's rotation by the playoffs. He'll be 33 next season, but Ibaka is capable of contributing to a title in the right situation. Helping the Warriors defend their title might be the perfect task for Ibaka, who might only receive offers for the minimum due to the past two seasons.
Robin Lopez | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 34
Lopez is gearing up for his 15th NBA season but would be another player that can contribute in spot minutes off the bench.
Another 7-footer with plenty of experience, Lopez can be inserted in instances that the Warriors need more size. Lopez spent the last season with the Magic and he could be in search of one final opportunity to win big in his career.
Wings
Kent Bazemore | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 32
Bazemore left the Warriors in 2021 to join the Lakers' efforts to pursue a title. Things probably went the opposite of how he expected.
There is plenty of familiarity as Bazemore began his career in Golden State and rejoined the franchise for the 2020-21 season, becoming a fan favorite in the process. Now, however, the team has fan favorites in Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson, each of whom is holding a role that Bazemore would likely fill.
Would the Warriors choose Lee or Toscano-Anderson over Bazemore? If not, there is still a chance that either of the two walk, making way for a Bazemore reunion.
Bryn Forbes | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 28
Championship DNA lives within Forbes, who had some key moments for the Bucks during their run in 2021.
Forbes is a career 41.3 percent 3-point shooter and could be brought in as insurance in case there are any injury concerns with Poole or Thompson. Last season, Forbes averaged 8.8 points over 75 games with the Spurs (40) and Nuggets (35). He's the type of player that could accept a role in the Warriors system with a chance to win another title.
Josh Okogie | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 23
With the number of guards in Minnesota, Okogie fell out of the rotation last season. As a result, the Wolves rescinded their qualifying offer to make Okogie an unrestricted free agent.
Okogie is a 6-foot-4 guard with elite athleticism and length, both of which allow him to be a menace defensively. If Payton were to leave, Okogie is the type of player capable of filling that role. Given where he is now a 23, Okogie could very well take a prove-it deal with the Warriors to win and showcase his abilities.
Priority players to be re-signed:
- Kevon Looney (Bird rights)
- Gary Payton II (Early-Bird rights)
- Otto Porter Jr. (Could use taxpayer mid-level exception to re-sign)
- Andre Iguodala
At 38 years old, Iguodala is at the tail end of his career and injuries kept him from playing consistently during Golden State's most recent run. It is unclear if Iguodala wants to keep playing or will retire. But overall, he is quite valuable as a player/coach for the Warriors.
However, if the Warriors do sign rookie Ryan Rollins, Golden State will then only have five open roster spots. You would expect the Warriors to do whatever it takes to bring back Looney, Payton II and Iguodala. Porter Jr. may be the wild card but he started in the Finals and you could envision Golden State bringing him back as well.
That will leave only one open roster spot, which the Warriors may prefer to use on maintaining continuity. Re-signing someone like Nemanja Bjelica may be more important to the Warriors instead of adding a brand new player through free agency.
"This is going to be a tougher free agency in my opinion," Myers said. "We're going to have to really work to retain some of these guys that gave us great minutes."
