NBA Rumors: Warriors May Consider Getting Added Firepower From Miami Heat

The Golden State Warriors have been sent tumbling back to reality after they lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 NBA Finals. Injuries to main stars took its toll on Steve Kerr’s boys and now the Dubs need to find ways to somehow cover the injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson for next season.

With Kevin Durant likely to sit out the whole of next season to address a ruptured Achilles and Klay Thompson similarly sidelined with an ACL injury, the Warriors will have to find new recruits this summer. Some could come in through the 2019 NBA Draft or perhaps NBA free agency. Either way, Stephen Curry and company need help if the Dubs are to bounce back strong next season.

Draymond Green is returning while there is still no closure on what lies ahead for DeMarcus Cousins. As mentioned in a previous post, Boogie will be an unrestricted free agent this NBA offseason and will likely be wooed by other teams. Seeing how he is not yet at full strength, it will be interesting if any team would be willing to sign him to a max contract. It is a conundrum that the Warriors are facing – meaning they need to do some pencil-pushing if they are to convince the 28-year-old big man to return. The good news is that Cousins is open to returning next season although this will likely depend on what is on the table.

Skimming the free agent market, one player the Warriors could thrive with is Dion Waiters. As mentioned in another post, Waiters is a player expected to be dealt off next season since the Miami Heat are looking to free up some salary space. The fourth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft could fill in the lack of firepower resulting from the Durant and Thompson injury. However, the money attached to his contract could prevent the whole thing from happening.

But similar to any high profile acquisition, getting Waiters to the Bay Area comes with a risk. The 27-year-old swingman is coming off ankle surgery – meaning that his game not as sharp as it was before. Last season, Waiters ended up playing in 44 games, averaging 12.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds, Heat Nation reported. The numbers were a huge decline from the ones he had the previous season.

Mapping out a potential deal could happen after the 2019 NBA Draft. The Dubs could send their pick for Waiters plus someone else on the roster to up firepower. But the question now is whether Waiters still has the guns to go off and help the Warriors on the offensive end.