NBA: Top 5 candidates for Executive of the Year Award in 2017-18

2. Bob Myers

You could argue that the Golden State Warriors had life made easy for them when they added Kevin Durant last summer and went on to win the 2017 title. Of course their free agents were going to want to stick with one of the greatest teams of all time and run it back.

But you can also argue that nobody had a better summer than the defending champs. Noooooobody.

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With Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, David West, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, Ian Clark, Matt Barnes and James Michael McAdoo all being free agents this summer, the Warriors could’ve easily chalked up 2016-17 as an amazing experience as they struggled to retain their core.

Instead, they kept everyone but Clark, Barnes and McAdoo, potentially turning a once-in-a-lifetime season into a sustainable dynasty. And the way they did it was even more remarkable.

Curry got his long-awaited and well-deserved payday with a super-max contract. Durant was willing to take a steep discount in a gesture that allowed the Dubs to retain the rest of their key bench pieces. Iguodala and Livingston received fair deals despite a limited about of cap space. West, Zaza and McGee all signed on for very little, returning as discounts despite likely having more value elsewhere.

But wait, the Warriors weren’t done! As if bringing everyone back wasn’t enough, they went out and added potentially lethal spot-up shooters in Omri Casspi and Nick Young, bolstering a bench that was already deep enough last year. Oh, and they also got the potential steal of the second round by buying the rights to Oregon’s Jordan Bell.

Sure, the Warriors were in a great position to convince everyone to come back. But that was never a guarantee, Iguodala came very close to leaving, and by adding Young, Casspi and Bell, last year’s all-time team somehow got even better. That’s a terrifying thought, and it’s why Bob Myers would still be deserving as Executive of the Year in 2018.

The only reason he’s not No. 1? One certain GM came out of nowhere with not one, but two blockbuster trades….