Golden State Warriors: The 2018 NBA offseason summary and recap

Looking back at what the Golden State Warriors did right and wrong in the 2018 NBA offseason, including free agency and the draft

For the Golden State Warriors, the 2018 NBA Playoffs was the first time since landing Kevin Durant that the Warriors appeared vulnerable. They were down 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals to the top-seeded Houston Rockets and they were without Andre Iguodala.

Fortunately for the Warriors, the Rockets lost All-Star point guard Chris Paul at the end of Game 5 to a hamstring injury and he would not return after it.

Golden State would not only go on to win the next two games and advance to the NBA Finals but they would go on to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors won their second straight title and third in four years. They entered the offseason knowing that they needed to re-sign Durant and upgrade their bench as they had several players who became unplayable in the playoffs and that resulted in head coach Steve Kerr leaning on his starters more than he would’ve like to.

Golden State would draft Jacob Evans with the 28th pick in the NBA draft. Evans was dominant defender at Cincinnati and should have a opportunity to carve out a role on the bench.

In free agency, the Warriors saw Javale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young, and David West leave. Losing those four might have seemed like an issue, but all those concerns were dismissed when it was announced that Golden State was signing DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year deal. The Warriors then landed Jonas Jerebko and re-signed Kevon Looney to help bolster their post defense.

For the Warriors, the upcoming season is NBA title or bust as the Warriors have a roster that is head and shoulders above the rest of the league. As long as they stay healthy and avoid serious locker room turmoil then the Warriors should be celebrating their first three-peat come next June.