5 Free Agents the Golden State Warriors Must Avoid

April 09, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors bench of starters stand up for the final seconds of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-89 to clinch a playoff berth. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency finally matters for the Golden State Warriors.

The Bay Area has not been an attractive destination for marquee free agents since the early 1990’s. The franchise lacked a cohesive ideology, many considered their “star” players to be unstable offensive cornerstones, and they lacked the history of organizational competence that attracts the league’s stars.

Now? The front office has assembled an exciting core of young players that gave the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs a run for their money in the second round. With Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins’ outsize contracts coming off the books after next season, the Warriors may have the flexibility to sign one of the many All Star-caliber players entering free agency in 2014.

To do so, they’ll have to negotiate this year’s offseason without taking on additional dead weight. That means avoiding some of the pyrite that tends to crop up around this time of year (role players who play themselves into starter money by stringing together a handful of quality outings).