NBA Rumors: Former Lakers Could Reinforce Warriors Next Season

The Golden State Warriors fell short of getting a three-peat, but a more pressing matter now is how the team will be comprised next NBA season. With Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson likely sitting out the majority (if not all) of the 2019-20 NBA season, Steve Kerr will need to fill up those gaps with players this summer. Two names from the Los Angeles Lakers could be worthy prospects.

These new additions could be Reggie Bullock and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, two potential free agents who are expected to draw interest from several teams. Bullock, an acquisition by the Lakers during the February NBA trade deadline, could be a wingman that could give the Dubs added firepower and play defense as well. With Thompson out, he could fill in the open slot and help out Stephen Curry on the scoring end, NBC Sports reported. Although he shot onlyi 37.7-percent from the three-point region last season, a peek at the previous two seasons shows that the 25th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft can hit it from deep better.

As for Caldwell-Pope, there is no question that he struggled to co-exist with LeBron James. That trend is expected to continue next NBA season with the 8th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft likely to fight for longer playing time. His athleticism and scoring potential could also offload some of the offensive needs of the Warriors although this will still depend on how he blends in with Kerr’s system.

While getting Caldwell-Pope and Bullock make plenty of sense, it could be a different story if the numbers game sets in. Golden State can only offer the mid-level exception to prospective cagers so it will be interesting to see if both could be fine with that setup. That could all depend on how many teams would be interested in either (or both) players, The Athletic reported.

Like other NBA teams, the Warriors have busy summer ahead. Curry will still be there, same with Draymond Green. One player most are also monitoring is DeMarcus Cousins, someone who already aired that he would be willing to return to Dub City. However, similar to KCP and Bullock, money matters are expected to factor in. There will be teams likely to pitch to the temperamental big man – potentially with lucrative offers. A max contract offer to Cousins may be remote although this does not mean he will not be given an offer that would be hard (or foolish) to refuse.