The Golden State Warriors find themselves in a reasonably unfamiliar situation this offseason, needing to respond from a disappointing year that saw them finish 10th in the Western Conference.
With a 36-year-old Stephen Curry still one of the best players in the league, the Warriors are expected to push forward with attempting a return to the playoffs rather than any sort of reset.
The Golden State Warriors have a number of roster flaws that they'll to address via trade or free agency this offseason
Golden State will need some level of change, with their roster this season clearly ill-equipped to handle what many of the top teams in the league had to throw at them. They do have some young talent who should provide internal development, but relying on that as the only source of improvement is a risk fraught with danger.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office will have a busy offseason ahead, so let's look at six of the biggest needs for the franchise to accomplish in the coming months.
1. Find a second star to partner Stephen Curry
As confirmed by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors are expected to go big-game hunting this offseason in the hope of adding a bonafide second star next to Curry. Too often were Golden State reliant on the two-time MVP this season, including in their Play-In elimination where they struggled to create offense.
Jonathan Kuminga showed signs of developing into that second offensive star in his third year, though he also finished the season as a reserve after a knee injury slightly halted his progress. The 21-year-old could very well become that player, but the Warriors would be better served with a known commodity given the Curry timeline.
That doesn't mean trading Kuminga -- ideally you keep him -- but he'd probably need to go in a deal for a superstar like Kevin Durant. A reunion between the two-time Finals MVP and the Warriors has been speculated, yet the franchise may have to settle for a tier or two below.