Shooting Guard: Gary Trent Jr. (signed with Bucks on one-year, $2.6 million contract)
Golden State addressed Klay Thompson's departure with the acquisitions of De'Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield, yet getting Gary Trent Jr. on a one-year, minimum contract may have proved even more valuable.
Perhaps they weren't to know that the market would dry up, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to swoop on Trent after his options for a bigger deal disappeared. The 25-year-old has averaged at least 13.7 points in each of the past four seasons, and is a career 38.6% three-point shooter on 6.4 attempts per game.
For a team in need of more scoring alongside Stephen Curry, Trent could have been very helpful particularly for the bargain basement price he eventually signed for.
Small Forward: Nic Batum (signed with Clippers on two-year, $9.6 million contract)
The Warriors interest in Nic Batum dates back to the 2021 offseason, and they were again in the market for the Frenchman this time around according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
You can understand why that would be the case. The veteran forward figures as a Golden State-type of player -- someone with size, versatility and the shooting that the franchise currently lacks in the front court. Batum averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season while nailing 39.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Perhaps he could have finally been the answer to the Warriors hopes of finding an Otto Porter Jr. replacement, but instead Batum chose to re-join the L.A. Clippers who had traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal for James Harden early last season.