Golden State Warriors: 5 reasons they’ll repeat as NBA champions in 2018

2. The rest of the role players are replaceable

If Kevin Durant re-signs for less than the max and the Warriors are able to bring back both Iguodala and Livingston (or even just one of those two), they’ll have the best four-, five- and six-man core in the NBA.

At that point, it really doesn’t matter what happens to the rest of the team’s bench depth.

After playing on a $2.9 million deal well below market value, Zaza Pachulia could seek a raise elsewhere. But he was awful in the Finals, and even if the prospect of competing for more championships doesn’t outweigh a potential pay day with a new team, the Dubs can find a serviceable replacement willing to take a discount to join a contender.

JaVale McGee was a great bench piece during the regular season, but became more difficult to play in the Finals when the Cavs punished his pick-and-roll coverage. He’s earned a raise on the open market, but after being closer to irrelevance for so long, perhaps he’d consider sticking around.

Ian Clark will likely leave after playing his way out of the Warriors’ price range, but even his 37.4 percent three-point shooting is replaceable. David West has been a nice veteran presence, and after sacrificing so much money to “ring chase,” can you really see him leaving a championship roster for anything other than retirement?

Matt Barnes was a nice piece for insurance purposes, but didn’t really serve much of a role in the team’s postseason run. Maybe he’ll stick around on a minimum contract since he’s always enjoyed playing in Golden State, but he neither makes nor breaks the Warriors’ bench.

If the Dubs keep Iggy and Livingston, they’ll still be able to round out the roster with serviceable veterans on minimum contracts. When you’re coming off one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, it’s a lot easier to convince people to take discounts in order to compete for more titles.