The NBA offseason is officially underway, and there’s little doubt the Golden State Warriors will be making some alterations to their roster. The question is whether the Dubs will trade away any of their higher-priced contracts or keep their core together while adding a noteworthy role player or two.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported on June 12 that Golden State could trade “anyone besides” superstar Steph Curry, but also noted the Warriors have “no plan for a salary dump trade this summer.” Perhaps the likeliest move for the team will be to add some affordable free agents who could turn into difference makers.
In his June 11 column for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz listed one hole every team can fill in free agency this summer, and when it came to the Warriors, he stressed the importance of adding affordable depth pieces, noting Miami Heat vet Kevin Love, who is a free agent, might be an ideal addition.
Kevin Love Would Be Solid Backup Big for Warriors
The Heat came up short in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, but Love was one of several key role players who helped the team make it as far it did. Love joined Miami via the buyout market in the spring, and he wound up starting 17 games and playing in 21 during the regular season.
He averaged 7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20 minutes a game for Miami this year (stats via Basketball Reference) and his outlet passes in the playoffs against the New York Knicks ignited the Heat.
Kevin Love was right on the money with the outlet pass 💰
📺 ABC
Swartz thinks Love, Nuggets center/forward Jeff Green or Indiana Pacers big man George Hill could be potential targets for the Dubs largely due to their affordability.
“Golden State will need to search for additional help who will agree to play for the veteran’s minimum, selling players on the chance to win a championship instead of cashing in elsewhere,” Swartz wrote. “This means vets who are nearing the end of their careers but can still play postseason minutes when called upon. Players like Green, Love and Hill would all fit this bill, if they’re willing to take a pay cut, of course.”
Steve Kerr Recently Praised Heat Players
The Warriors fell in the Western Conference Semifinals, and the team’s players and coaches have been watching the remainder of the postseason unfold. In a June 5 appearance on The Draymond Green show, Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed fondness for what he saw from the Heat on the court.
“None of those guys on Miami are sitting there saying, ‘Well I didn’t play’ or ‘Man, they put in so and so.’ They’re just all about winning,” Kerr told Green, adding:
“When you have that championship mentality, every guy is bought in. Every guy is just trying to win. Nobody cares about any of that stuff. You don’t go into the locker room saying, ‘Oh well I should’ve played more,’ you just want to win. And that’s the beauty of finding that magic when you have a championship team is that everybody’s bought in and it makes the decisions for the coach really simple.”
Whether Love was one of the players who impressed Kerr in the postseason is unclear, but what is clear is the Warriors’ financial stress.
Golden State has a current roster cap of $210 million, which is over the league’s luxury tax threshold by $48 million, so Love, who made just over $3 million last season, would certainly be affordable, and he’d surely find playing alongside Curry and company appealing.
We’ll see how it shakes out this offseason.
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Warriors Named Prime Landing Spot for Heat Vet in Free Agency