Warriors’ Roster Revamp: New Additions Aim To Replace Klay Thompson

Every dream must come to an end. Every story reaches its finish. Every dynasty must die. For the Golden State Warriors, the last two NBA seasons have been an extended honeymoon period as the door closes on them.

The final nail in the coffin was the breakup of the Splash Brothers. Now, Klay Thompson wears a Dallas Mavericks jersey, and the Warriors Big 3 is no longer there.

The entire situation when dealing with a franchise legend like Klay was atrocious. Joe Lacob invites him to a game of golf and doesn’t discuss contracts. Later, Mike Dunleavy and the new front office rejected a two-year, $20 million deal, less than the league MLE, given by Klay himself.

Rebounding from the Klay Thompson departure

The disservice to Thompson was immense. But it might be just as bad for Stephen Curry. A bonafide legend, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it was imperative for the team to build a competitive roster around him. The first few days of free agency weren’t looking so great.

But credit where it’s due. Management has done an incredible job with its resources, rebuilding the roster on the fly. The first came two shrewd deals. In the form of Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, the team has two savvy defensive-minded veterans who can lift the team.

Then came the brilliant Buddy Hield move. While not the defender that prime Klay was, Hield is among the best shooters in the league today. The man with the most 3-pointers since coming into the league, not named Curry, should fit perfectly within the Warriors system.

Beyond that, the team has a healthy mixture of young talent. In Moses Moody, they have a young trade chip that some teams might be willing to bite on. But, the trio of Jonathan Kuminga, who showed immense flashes last season, Trayce Jackson-Davis, the rookie big man who was easily the best Warriors Center in a decade, and Brandin Podziemski, the best of the bunch and a perfect 3-and-D guard, is what Golden State should pin their hopes on.

Their growth could differ between a competitive, contender-ish run and another year outside the Playoffs. But the onus can’t just be on the three 20-somethings.

What next from the Golden State Warriors front office?

So far, the rumor mill has been buzzing about potential moves down in the Ba. According to the latest reports, the Warriors remain in the running for Zach Lavine.

A deal around Andrew Wiggins, along with salary filler, might be the best-case scenario for GSW. Coming out of the Wiggins contract, Lavine might be worse defensively. However, the offensive upside, a bigger concern after losing Klay, Paul, and Jordan Poole, might negate the defensive deficiencies.

Similarly, the team is also looking to address its need for size. According to rumors, the team is aggressively pursuing a Lauri Markkanen trade. Such a deal would immediately answer the team’s two biggest concerns.

Finding size, offensive punch, and a contractual downgrade might be the perfect solution for Golden State. However, the asking price for the in-demand Lauri will be far steeper than the virtually untradeable Zach Lavine.

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