What offseason moves should the Warriors make?

The Golden State Warriors fell short of the ultimate goal of winning a title. They have some questions they need to answer this summer.

It will be a long and painful offseason for the Golden State Warriors.

After losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals on their home floor to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bob Myers and his team of executives have much to ponder this offseason; questions such as What will the Warriors do with Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli and what free agents might they be able to attract this summer?

To put it simply, Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli did not have the kind of productive NBA playoffs Warriors fans would hope for. Barnes averaged 9.0 points per game on 38.5 percent shooting during the 2015-2016 playoffs, according to NBA.com/Stats. 38.5% shooting from the starting small forward will not get it done.

According to NBA.com/Stats, Ezeli averaged only four points per contest in a limited 8.8 minutes during the playoffs. Although he played limited minutes, Ezeli did not show Warriors management much rim protection or an ability to put the ball in the basket off consistent low post moves. Often times, especially in the NBA Finals, he looked lost on both ends of the court, not knowing what play was run or when to switch on defense.

Both of those guys did not produce and prove much value to the team on the biggest stages of the playoffs forcing Bob Myers to not re-sign either Barnes or Ezeli.

Now, on to the second question. What free agents might the Warriors be able to attract this summer?

First, let’s start out with the most coveted free agent this offseason in Oklahoma City Thunder superstar, Kevin Durant.

Durant provides everything that Barnes provides, but significantly better. The former 2013 MVP provides another scoring punch for the Warriors that could be scary with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson already in the lineup. He also can be a versatile defender, guarding the 3 and 4 positions with his length and athleticism. A Kevin Durant for Harrison Barnes swap would significantly upgrade the Warriors at the small forward position and would make the Warriors the easy favorite to win the NBA title for the next few years.

The second free agent that the Warriors could go after is Atlanta Hawks’ big man, Al Horford.

Horford would provide the Warriors with an inside presence, something they do not have with Bogut and Ezeli. He would provide a big scoring punch from the center position that the Warriors often do not have. Also, he would fit perfectly into the Warriors’ “Death Lineup” with Curry, Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, and Horford.

With this potential small-ball lineup, all five guys could shoot from the perimeter and it would not be as physically taxing on a guy like Green, who had to play the center in this lineup. It would allow Barnes to be at his more natural “3” position and Green to be a 4 with Horford being the center. Horford is also a solid rebounder and is limber enough to run up and down with a small lineup like this. Horford is a perfect fit for Bob Myers and the Warriors.

These questions of offseason moves and free agency remain, but Warriors fans have their trust in Bob Myers and the Warriors management to make the right moves for a redeeming shot at another title.