The Golden State Warriors fell woefully short of their expectations for the 2023-24 NBA season. Instead of competing with the upper-echelon teams in the Western Conference, the Warriors barely made the NBA Play-in Tournament.
Golden State finished in 10th place, which sent them on the road for a Play-In Game against the Sacramento Kings. Their budding rivals took it to them, as Sacramento came away with an impressive 118-94 victory over their Pacific Division rivals.
There are a lot of people who believe that Tuesday night was the end of an era in Golden State. With Klay Thompson’s future with the franchise up in the air, it could have been the last time he suited up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as teammates.
Something will have to give during the 2024 NBA offseason. The Warriors cannot run things back with the same group and expect different results. They were in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the No. 10 seed for a reason, as other teams in the conference have passed them by.
Given how many injuries the Memphis Grizzlies endured this season and the rise of the Houston Rockets, the Warriors could be on the outside looking in of even a Play-In spot next season. That is why Colin Cowherd has suggested they look to make a splash in free agency.
During a recent episode of his podcast, with guest Jason Timpf, Cowherd made a case for the Warriors to pursue Paul George. George will be a free agent this offseason as well and could be a perfect fit at Golden State.
“I think that’s the guy, if you’re Golden State, you throw the kitchen sink at,” Cowherd said of the Warriors pursuing George.
.@ColinCowherd and @_JasonLT make the case for Paul George to the Warriors:
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 16, 2024
“I think that's the guy, if you're Golden State, you throw the kitchen sink at" pic.twitter.com/l2OcWtVQ60
At this stage in their respective careers, George looks to be an upgrade over what Thompson was providing the team. Thompson has earned a lot of respect for battling back from injuries and accepting a new role this season, but he isn’t as impactful as he once was. George, on the other hand, is still playing at an All-Star level as a two-way dynamo.
If the Warriors were able to find a way to add George to the mix alongside Curry, Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis, they could have something brewing again in Golden State. That is a strong foundation to start with, as the Warriors would just need to find at least one or two more rotation big men in NBA free agency to round things out.
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