The Warriors need to add depth on the wings this offseason, and Trevor Ariza is one of the names that has been connected to Golden State in free agency.
The Warriors still have at least one game remaining to close out the Cavs in their quest for three championships in four years, but it’s never too early to take a look ahead to the offseason.
Golden State’s biggest weakness this season was a lack of depth on the wing.
Injuries to Andre Iguodala and Patrick McCaw in the postseason revealed that the Warriors didn’t have many capable wing players behind them in the rotation. Worse yet, McCaw is a free agent this offseason and Golden State may be unable to give him the same money as some other wing-needy teams.
Golden State will have limited resources to address that need on the wing this offseason, but they may be able to convince a couple veterans to come to the Bay Area in search of a championship ring.
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ESPN’s Chris Haynes made an appearance on Tim Kawakami’s podcast for The Athletic, and floated Trevor Ariza as a player that the Warriors could pursue in free agency.
Ariza had a very solid season in Houston scoring 11.7 points per game with 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and he shot 36.8% from three. However, most Warriors fans remember him having the worst game of his life in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals going 0-for-12 from the floor.
That performance will certainly haunt Ariza for a long time, but that shouldn’t prevent the Warriors from attempting to convince him to come to Golden State on a minimum contract or their version of the mid-level exception.
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Ariza would have to take a pay cut to make that work, but he may be willing to risk a few extra dollars for a chance at winning another championship.
Three-and-D wings are hard to find on the open market, and Trevor Ariza may be the Warriors’ best option this offseason.