Warriors: 1 trade and 1 free agent signing for Golden State to win the offseason

Nicolas Batum would bolster the Warriors bench and defense

Golden State doesn’t have a ton of cap room to work with in free agency, so they’ll have to beef up their roster by identifying capable veterans who might be interested in chasing a ring.

Nicolas Batum fits that description perfectly.

The veteran small forward signed a one-year deal with the Clippers for the 2020-21 season, but his services will be up for grabs again this offseason.

Batum averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season while shooting 40.4 perfect from beyond the arc.

The Warriors will get Klay Thompson back for next season, so they don’t need a starting small forward. What they do need is someone to come off the bench with defensive chops and a good shot.

It’ll be imperative to pick up someone like Batum if Kelly Oubre is drawn away by interest from other teams in free agency who can offer him a starting role. Batum is at a stage in his career when starting isn’t the end-all-be-all.

There’s always Andre Iguodala for this same role, but the former Warrior is 37 years old. Batum is 32 and still has some gas left in the tank.