Short and long term questions for Golden State Warriors’ offseason
By Tony Pesta
Short term questions
The high of winning an NBA championship will carry the Golden State Warriors through the summer but these short-term questions will be pressing right away.
How does James Wiseman perform in Summer League?
Perhaps the most notable thing on the horizon is James Wiseman’s potential return to the basketball court.
Wiseman has played only a handful of games since injuring his knee in early 2021. It’s been nearly impossible to gauge how effective of a prospect Wiseman can become with his limited sample size but we could finally get another taste of what’s to come with his debut in the Summer League.
The plan is for Wiseman to participate in Las Vegas, barring any setbacks. A sturdy performance here would leave the Warriors feeling pretty good about the upcoming season. Of course, it would come with a grain of salt — but we’d rather be overly optimistic than spend another summer wondering if the Dubs’ misfired on the No. 2 overall pick.
Upcoming free agents
The other issue that will present itself early in the summer is all of the upcoming free agents on the roster.
Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Damion Lee, Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Andre Iguodala all have the opportunity to hit the market this offseason. Who will the Dubs prioritize? Who will they allow to walk?
Immediately, I’d suspect the focus will be on retaining Looney, Payton and Porter. The three vets played key minutes throughout the playoffs and will undoubtedly be useful in future championship runs.
As for Lee, Bjelica, JTA and Iggy, the Warriors might not rush to get a deal done. It’s possible they simply look to replace these players with new additions or look to the youth, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, to play bigger roles next year in their place.