3 moves Warriors need to make to keep up with Suns after Bradley Beal trade
The Phoenix Suns are going all-in to win the championship by trading for Bradley Beal. How can the Golden State Warriors keep up?
The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors were both dispatched in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Both are older teams with an immediate, borderline urgent desire to win the championship next season.
Well, Phoenix was quick to stir the pot and make a big splash. The Suns traded for Bradley Beal on Sunday and gave up startlingly little to get him. While questions about Phoenix’s depth remain, there’s no doubt that a team built around Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker is capable of making a deep run.
The Warriors, meanwhile, face several offseason conundrums under new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. With extensions and high-profile free agents to juggle, on top of general roster management duties and the upcoming NBA Draft, what can the Warriors do to keep pace with Phoenix in the cutthroat West?
Move Warriors need to make to keep up with Suns: Re-sign Draymond Green
Not unlike Phoenix, the Warriors are cash-strapped due to several massive contracts: Stephen Curry ($51.9 million), Klay Thompson ($43.2 million), Jordan Poole ($28.7 million), Andrew Wiggins ($24.3 million). Now it’s Draymond Green’s turn to get paid, and the Warriors are expected to do everything within reason to keep him.
That being said, it will get difficult to build out the roster around five $24+ million players under the new CBA. The Warriors will have to get crafty and rely on smaller free agents, the draft, and good old-fashioned front office ingenuity.
The Warriors probably don’t want to pay 33-year-old occasional offensive liability Draymond Green max dollars over 4-5 years, but here’s the thing — they can’t afford not to re-sign him.
Whatever complaints one might register with Green’s deficiencies on the offensive end, he makes up for them with rigorous defense and unmatched basketball genius. He’s one of the smartest players in the NBA and he has been the beating heart of four championship defenses. His ability to orchestrate teammates and connect the dots in Steve Kerr’s system is irreplaceable. The Warriors absolutely have to find common ground on a new contract. That’s the first order of business this summer.