With the Golden State Warriors having been eliminated on Wednesday and with their focus now on the offseason, the center position is a critical area the franchise has to organize this summer.
Heavy small-ball with Draymond Green at the five isn't sustainable, yet none of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post and Kevon Looney have put their hand up to be a consistent starter. The Warriors should be in the market for a more proven starting big man, but that doesn't mean they should show too much desperation.
The Warriors need to aim higher than Nikola Vucevic and Kelly Olynyk
The trade landscape for big men is already materializing before the Conference Finals even begin, with a pair of veterans set to become available again after Golden State have had interest in the past.
The Warriors were linked to 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic for months leading up to the trade deadline, and even held conversations with the Chicago Bulls in the hours after the Jimmy Butler deal. Vucevic ultimately remained with the Bulls, but is expected to become available again according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Wednesday.
"Center Nikola Vucevic, who ideally wants to win now, is set to enter the final season of his deal worth $21.48 million and, after drawing trade interest, most notably from the Warriors, is expected to come up again in trade talks this summer," Scotto reported.
Kelly Olynyk is another Golden State have had interest in previously, dating back to the 2024 mid-season deadline where he was traded to the Toronto Raptors. The 34-year-old was then moved to the New Orleans Pelicans this season as part of the Brandon Ingram trade, but with Joe Dumars hired as President of Basketball Operations in April, Scotto believes Olynyk could once again be on the market.
"Olynyk’s stretch-five skillset and $13.45 million expiring salary for next season make him a worthwhile trade candidate," Scotto wrote.
While the Warriors have had interest in both players previously, this offseason should be about targeting a higher-calibre big man who can produce on both ends of the floor. Golden State ranked first in defense after the Jimmy Butler trade, and their hopes of replicating that next season aren't going to be improved by the notorisouly underwhelming rim protection of Vucevic.
Olynyk is a valuable player no doubt, yet at this point of his career he's not a starting-calibre player on a good playoff team. There's also some injury concerns there given he appeared in just 44 games this season, averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Whether it's through a sign-and-trade involving Jonathan Kuminga or some other means, the Warriors need to aim higher. That's not to say it has to be a flat out superstar or anything, but renewing interest in Vucevic or Olynyk isn't the sort of upgrade the franchise needs in order to stay competitive in the brutal Western Conference.