Ah, how sweet it is to be king. That mindset has engulfed the Golden State Warriors, who are finally NBA Champions for the first time in 40 years. While they’re basking in their championship glory, however, the rest of the league is working hard to catch them. So, the Warriors have their work cut out for them if they want to achieve one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports: repeating as champions. Let’s take a look at what the Warriors should and will do this summer as they prepare for a title defense that has been a long time coming.
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft came and went on Thursday, and the Warriors had only one pick on the night. With the last pick (30 overall) in the first round, Golden State may have had the steal of the draft. They selected UCLA’s Kevon Looney, who actually left his spot in the green room because of how disappointed he was to slide. When he heard the news, however, Looney seemed relieved and excited to join the NBA Champs.
In Looney, the Warriors get frontcourt help that could be a huge steal in the future. He has a hip issue and a potentially bad back, and those are red flags that caused him to slip all the way to 30. However, a healthy Kevon Looney could provide frontcourt depth to a team dealing with potential cap issues. The Warriors can mitigate his issues while he develops, and he goes to a great situation. This is a nice pickup for Golden State.
Free Agency
Going into the draft, the Warriors were actively shopping David Lee and still seem destined to send him on his way. Lee asked for a trade, and the Warriors want to do right by a player who sacrificed a lot this season and stepped up when called upon to help deliver a championship. For the next month, the Warriors will be looking to ship him out in exchange for cap space, maybe an expiring contract, or future draft picks. Golden State was trying to package the 30th pick with Lee to move up in the draft, but there simply weren’t any takers. Now, they’ll have to try to move him on his own or packaged with another player.
In addition, Golden State has to take care of some free agency issues this offseason. The biggest move they’ll potentially have to make is re-signing Draymond Green, a key cog in the Warriors’ title run. Green will be highly coveted as a restricted free agent, and his restricted status at least gives Golden State the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signs. The Warriors undoubtedly want to bring him back, as he is a perfect fit for this team. When the chips fall, it will be a major surprise if Green opts to play anywhere but Golden State next season and going forward.