Any Golden State Warriors fans still holding out hope for a noteworthy talent to join the roster before next season can now give up on those wishes. NBA veterans DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson were considered the two major remaining options to improve the team. DeRozan could have been the second-best scorer on the team, and a Thompson reunion would have appeased the generally unhappy fan base.
Unfortunately, today it was confirmed that Golden State would not get either player. Thompson received his buy out from the Dallas Mavericks and choose to sign with the Miami Heat as their likely starting shooting guard. The desire to contend for a title saw Thompson picking the Heat. Miami also needs more three-point shooting to give Klay a bigger role.
DeRozan then signed with the Denver Nuggets a few hours later once his other option of Miami was removed from the equation. The Warriors were a rare spot where DeRozan would continue getting to score at a high level, but the team didn’t seem too interested in him. DeRozan instead joined Denver to team up with Nikola Jokic and potentially lead their bench unit. Golden State will now not be able to add any new talents, except for secondary talents on the market less valued by other teams.
Why Golden State Warriors Didn’t Want DeMar DeRozan
Fans can be upset at Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy for not going harder after DeRozan. Golden State could only afford cheap names, like DeRozan or Thompson coming out of buy outs where they’ll be paid handsomely by their previous teams.
No one on the current roster behind Curry can be trusted to average anywhere near 20 points at a time when most teams have two or three 20+ scorers. Jimmy Butler is the second-best player, but no one knows when he’ll be back from his ACL injury.
DeRozan could have easily put up points to help keep the team in games until they got Butler back. However, his need for isolation plays and inability to consistently hit threes scare some teams away. Golden State will instead hope that players like Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski take big steps forward.
Remaining Players Golden State Warriors Can Still Sign
Golden State clearly needs to add another player or two, even if just for the later roster spots. Going all in on LeBron James in free agency and losing out set them back from adding any names who could truly make them contenders.
The Warriors appear to be accepting that this is a gap year, but they still should be looking for under the radar talents. Dalen Terry has been one name linked to Golden State after bench stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls in recent years.
Other realistic names won’t provide much hope for instant improvement, but they could be sleeper additions that pay off down the line. Cam Thomas and Brandon Williams are two promising names who have contributed to other teams with more playing time in the past. The Warriors must find the right name to add after missing out on DeRozan and Thompson.
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