The Biggest Mistake Warriors Can’t Afford to Repeat This Offseason

The Golden State Warriors made a variety of mistakes last offseason.

Among them were a) not acquiring players with positional size at the wing, b) not signing more players in their prime and c) not acquiring players with ball-handling/scoring talent.

In other words, they were undersized, often short-handed and easy to guard.

They need to fix all of these things this offseason.

But if I had to choose one mistake they can't afford to repeat, it's not getting more players in their prime (ages 25-31).

Last Offseason Resulted in Too Many Older Players

The Warriors entered last offseason coming off a second-round appearance in the playoffs with a win-now roster. It wasn't totally foolish to target veterans in free agency, and that's what they did.

They essentially got verbal confirmation to sign Al Horford (now 39), De'Anthony Melton (28), Gary Payton II (33) and (a month into the season) Seth Curry (35).

Of those four, only Melton was in the prime age range.

In fairness to the Warriors, they were dealing with drawn-out contract negotiations with Jonathan Kuminga. By the time Kuminga agreed to terms in late September, every decent free agent had been taken weeks ago.

That they got Horford, Melton and Payton to hold off on officially signing until deep into the offseason (and literally into the season in Curry's case) was actually shrewd work from general Mike Dunleavy Jr.

But the consequence of letting Kuminga control their offseason was not being able to aggressively go after younger free agents with their mid-level exception.

They need to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. They can't go into next season with other players as old as Stephen Curry (38), Jimmy Butler (36) and Draymond Green (36).

They need younger legs.

Warriors Can't Let Green, Porzingis Negotiations Impact Other Pursuits

The Warriors need to decide what they are doing with Green and Kristaps Porzingis before free agency starts so they can target free agents in their primes.

Their best way to improve is to use the nontaxpayer mid-level exception, but to get access to it they might have to pay Porzingis less than he wants or ask Green to take a pay cut from his $27.7 million player option.

In a perfect world, they get Porzingis and Green under contract and have enough cap space under the first apron to use the NTMLE ($15 million) to get multiple role players in their primes.

But if Porzingis intends to go days into free agency before deciding what he wants, the Warriors might have to let him walk so they don't miss out on other players.

Players the Warriors Can Target with NTMLE

Of course, the Warriors will chase their dream targets with full NTMLE first. If LeBron James or Andrew Wiggins (player option) wants to come to the Bay, that's how the NTMLE will be used.

The next two names, both of whom would likely take most of the NTMLE on their own, are Anfernee Simons (26) and Collin Sexton (27).

What's more likely is they split their NTMLE over two players, targeting Robert Williams III (28), Jordan Goodwin (27), John Collins (28) and Collin Gillespie (26).

Can the Dubs Correct All Their Mistakes from Last Offseason?

It won't be easy to get wings with positional size and quality ball-handlers while avoiding players past their prime, but it can be done.

The plan starts with getting a wing with positional size in the draft who can help immediately. Yaxel Lendeborg could be their best option. If they get him, they won't have as much pressure in free agency to get more wing depth.

Then in free agency, getting Sexton or Simons would give them another ball-handler who can score.

But once they use their mid-level exception, they'll be left with just veteran minimum contract offers, and most players in their prime will want more money than a minimum.

To be sure, it'll be challenging for Dunleavy to build out this roster with more youth, size, skill and athleticism.

But we've seen teams with few cap mechanisms make great moves on the margins before.

The Warriors just need Dunleavy to channel Celtics president Brad Stevens.

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