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Golden State Warriors: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

By Josh Cornelissen

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: Andre Iguodala #9, Klay Thompson #11, Stephen Curry #30, Draymond Green #23 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-85 to win the 2018 NBA Finals. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: Andre Iguodala #9, Klay Thompson #11, Stephen Curry #30, Draymond Green #23 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-85 to win the 2018 NBA Finals. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

5. Draft anyone but a center

The Golden State Warriors built their team through the draft. While key moves were made via trade and free agency, the heart of the team’s first title and the majority of its current core were all draft picks — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Recent success has meant limited draft assets, and the Warriors have had to make a number of choices at the end of the first round. Their selections in recent years have been bigs — Kevon Looney in 2015 and Damian Jones in 2016. They have also bought into the second round twice, selecting Patrick McCaw and Jordan Bell over the past two drafts.

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Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets?
Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets? /

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    • In Bell, the Warriors seem to have found their center of the future, and the tight market for centers most likely means there will be minimum options available each summer. Therefore, the Warriors need to use their draft capital for cheap rotation players at other positions.

    The 2018 NBA Draft has a number of bigs in the lottery mix, but then a plethora of wings stretching from the mid-first round to the mid-second. The Warriors’ front office will have plenty of players to choose from with the 28th pick. They could also acquire another pick in the second round using up to $5.1 million in cash.

    Whether they have one or two selections, the Warriors have to decide which available players best fit their roster. Could it be a shooter such as Grayson Allen or Landry Shamet? A backup guard in Jalen Brunson or Ellie Okobo? Or a defensive wing in Melvin Frazier or Khyri Thomas? While the decision will be made easier as players are chosen, there are a lot of options and the Warriors will have to do further diligence than in most years.

    That diligence could pay off with a player ready to contribute immediately. While the core of the team has reached their second and third contracts, players such as Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw and Jordan Bell have helped bring the Warriors a title each of the past two seasons. They will be hunting for another cost-controlled player to step up this year in the draft.

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