Golden State Warriors News: Roster Changes Coming In Free Agency For 2018 NBA Champs

The 2018 NBA offseason could be a wild one, and that means changes to rosters around the league. Even the defending champions will look a little different when they take the court for the first time next season.

No, that doesn’t mean the Golden State Warriors will do anything drastic like trade Draymond Green or Klay Thompson before their contracts expire. Kevin Durant is expected to return, despite his ability to sign elsewhere as a free agent. Stephen Curry is locked in for the next four years.

Golden State’s bench, however, could see significant turnover as the team looks to win their fourth championship in five years. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admitted as much on “The Lowe Post” podcast, indicating that change is needed to avoid any apathy that might come with constant winning.

“We’re gonna have to be creative. I think we’ll have a younger roster, too,” Kerr told ESPN’s Zach Lowe Monday. “We had a lot of vets this year. I think you’ll see more youth and energy to help us get through all that. I think there will be maybe a different sort of response from our top six guys—the four All-Stars plus Andre (Iguodala) and Shaun (Livingston). That’s the core of our team and we may have a couple of other vets returning, but we may not. We don’t know. There’s gonna be a lot of roster change, which I think will help because young guys trying to fight for everything in their careers generally bring a lot of energy, and that could be very important for us.”

Golden State's star players seemed to lack any sense of urgency during the regular season. After breezing to a title in 2017, the Warriors finished behind the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference standings. The Toronto Raptors won more games than Golden State, as well.

Along with their top four players, Iguodala and Livingston will be back next year. Both players are signed through the 2019-2020 season, having played key roles on all three championship teams. Iguodala is the fifth and final member of Golden State’s “death lineup,” while Livingston made 13 of his 15 field-goal attempts in the Finals.

Which veterans could be on their way out of Golden State? David West and Zaza Pachulia, both of whom are free agents, seem like the two most likely candidates.

West, 37, averaged 3.3 points in 9.7 minutes per game during the playoffs, never starting once in the regular season or postseason. Pachulia, 34, saw his playing time disappear in the playoffs, where he racked up 26 total minutes and 14 DNP’s.

“It also gives the Core Six a new responsibility of being mentors,” Kerr told Lowe. “The mentoring was done by David West and Zaza this year. Those guys were great. But that’s a role maybe for Draymond and KD and these guys. Maybe that helps them through next season.”

JaVale McGee, 30, is without a contract. He was a surprise contributor against the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 8.0 points per game on 80 percent shooting.

Nick Young, 33, is also a free agent. Kevon Looney is just 22 years old, but he might get a contract offer that Golden State is unwilling to match because of their already lofty payroll.

Assuming the Warriors give Durant a max salary, Golden State will pay their top six players close to $135 million next season.