The Golden State Warriors struggled all season long. Injuries derailed any shot of competing for a championship, and they failed to qualify for the playoffs. The injury to Jimmy Butler kept them from having a real chance at making a deep postseason run.
Stephen Curry was the only reliable source of offense for the Warriors this season. They finished the year with the 19th-ranked offense in the NBA. It’s clear that Golden State needs another superstar player to help when some guys go down with injuries.
According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, the Warriors are likely going to pursue three superstars.
The Warriors Will Pursue Three Mega Stars
While speaking on the Zach Lowe Show, Lowe mentioned that the Warriors will be pursuing three mega stars in the offseason. He mentions Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James as the three stars they will try to land. Lowe mentions they will pursue them in that order.
“I expect them again to go all-in for Giannis. If that fails, I expect them again to call on Kawhi Leonard. If that fails, or maybe if it doesn’t, I expect them to try to get LeBron James.”
Antetokounmpo is clearly the top superstar available in the NBA this summer. He will likely be pursuing a trade with how ugly the regular season ended. He is the youngest of the three superstars Lowe mentioned, and by far the best. Adding him would be their best option.
Leonard is coming off the best season of his career and will likely be making either first or second-team All-NBA. Leonard has one year left on his contract, which will pay him $50.3 million next year. Trading for either player will cost a lot of assets.
James would cost them the least, as he would have to take a pay cut to leave Los Angeles. He has also finally accepted a role as the third-best player on a championship-level team, which would be perfect next to Curry and Butler.
The Warriors Are Desperately Close to a Rebuild
As long as Curry is on the team, Golden State will try to win games. Until he either falls off a cliff with his game or he is no longer on the roster, the Warriors will try to win a title. That gives them one or two years left with Curry producing at a high level.
Curry finished the season as productive as ever from a scoring standpoint, but he had the fewest number of assists in his career. That was a byproduct of the poor roster around him once Butler went down. He needs to have other players who can take the pressure off him.
Golden State has to figure out which assets they are willing to part ways with when a rebuild is so close to happening.