20 things to look forward to this NBA offseason

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Arizona forward Deandre Ayton (13) reacts to a call during the championship game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the USC Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats on March 10, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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OAKLAND, CA – MAY 20: Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 20, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

16. Which ring-chasers join the Golden State Warriors?

The Golden State Warriors just won their third NBA championship in the past four years, but they don’t plan to rest on their laurels this offseason.

“We just have to be always moving forward to try to improve our team,” team owner Joe Lacob told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic following the Warriors’ victory over the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. So I actually think this draft is a very important one for us. We need to get some youth on the team going forward.”

The Warriors selected Cincinnati swingman Jacob Evans with their No. 28 overall pick, but unlike in years past, they were unable to move back into the second round. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, they were “met with a shortage of willing trade partners after all the heat Chicago took them for selling them the Jordan Bell pick in 2017” for $3.5 million (the maximum amount allowed at the time).

With the draft now over, the Warriors must turn their attention to free agency, where they’ll be relying on ring-chasers taking discounts.

Once the Warriors re-sign Kevin Durant, they’ll far surpass the luxury-tax threshold, leaving them with only the taxpayer’s mid-level exception and veteran’s minimum contracts to dole out. ESPN’s Chris Haynes recently suggested (via Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek) that Houston Rockets swingman Trevor Ariza may be amenable to taking a pay cut to join them, but Ariza won’t be the only one.

Last year, the Warriors signed Nick Young to the taxpayer’s MLE, added Omri Casspi on a minimum deal and re-signed both JaVale McGee and David West to minimum contracts as well. Who they add to complement their four future Hall of Famers this summer could go a long way toward determining whether a three-peat is in the cards next year.

Next: 15. Can the Heat find a taker for Hassan Whiteside?

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