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The NBA offseason has just begun, and there have already been some wild and league-altering transactions being made. However, the most impactful part of the offseason, the free agency period, will soon begin on June 30th at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The Golden State Warriors, recently crowned the 2022 NBA Champions, have a plethora of free agents on their team (9, to be exact), and with the Warriors' lack of cap flexibility, it seems implausible that they resign all their free agents, though the Warriors' GM, Bob Myers, has publicly stated that he would love to resign all their free agents and run it back. Here are the latest rumors/updates on the Warriors' free agents heading into the 2022-2023 season.
Kevon Looney
Out of every free agent on the Warriors' current roster, Kevon Looney is probably the most impactful and important one. It has been clearly shown that Kevon loves the Warriors and the Bay, and likewise, the Warriors organization truly values and appreciates him. Honestly, it will feel quite weird if Kevon Looney plays for another team other than the Warriors, as he has been through all the ups and downs, both personally and for the Warriors. Kevon has seemingly become an expert in the Warriors' system, and he plays within his role, not trying to do too much yet doing the right things all the time. Per Marc Stein, there has been a growing pessimism around other NBA teams about the chances of Kevon leaving the Bay. Overall, all signs point towards Kevon Looney returning back to the Warriors.
Otto Porter Jr.
Otto has been a vital part of the Warriors' championship run this year, as he shot the ball efficiently, played good defense, rebounded very well, and even started in some NBA Finals games. In last year's free agency period, the Warriors signed Porter to a veterans minimum, and in hindsight, a veterans minimum seems like a huge bargain for the Warriors. This time around, Otto Porter Jr. and his team will be demanding a contract far more lucrative than a veterans minimum. Porter has publicly stated that he wants to remain a Warrior and run it back, but with the new contract that he is commanding, it would not be worth it for the Warriors to resign him, as the Warriors are in luxury-tax hell. All in all, Porter is probably not resigning with the Warriors. He will probably sign with another contender though, as he is a modern-day 3-D player that many contenders need.
Gary Payton II
GP2 started last season as the 15th man after competing with other players for that roster spot. This time around, GP2 will most definitely be valued and sought after, both by the Warriors and other teams around the association. There have been rumors that the Dallas Mavericks are interested in GP2, which makes sense as they are most likely losing Jalen Brunson in free agency. GP2 will probably command a contract similar to the one Otto Porter Jr is commanding (GSW's Mid-Level Exception of around 5-6 million dollars a year), so resigning GP2 will make the Warriors' cap situation even worse. Otto Porter-type players are generally replaceable (the Warriors may even have one already in Jonathan Kuminga), but GP2-type players are very rare. The Warriors will probably resign either GP2 or Otto, but not both, and based on the roster and player type, GP2 will probably be more prioritized by the Warriors. The Warriors are probably the team that can best utilize GP2's playing style, and so GP2 will probably stay in the Bay.
Juan Toscano-Anderson
It was reported today, by Anthony Slater of the Athletic, that the Warriors are not extending a qualifying offer of around $2.1 million to JTA, making him an unrestricted free agent. Prior to this move, JTA was a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors basically have full control on whether or not they want to resign him. Since the Warriors made JTA an unrestricted free agent, it seems unlikely that they will resign him in free agency. However, he should still garner interest from other NBA teams, as he is a high-IQ wing who plays good defense, brings good energy, and helps the offense flow.
Nemanja Bjelica
Throughout the season, Nemanja Bjelica offered a different dimension to the Warriors, one that has not been seen during their dynastic runs. They have never had a player who is Nemanja's size that can shoot the way he does. Depending on what kind of contract Nemanja wants, the Warriors should try and resign him. However, true stretch bigs like Nemanja are in high demand right now, and a team who has much more cap flexibility than the Warriors may be willing to give Nemanja a contract that is larger than what the Warriors are willing to give. One team to look out for is the Charlotte Hornets, as they need more bigs and have a large Mid-Level Exception of $10 million and a $4 million Bi-Annual Exception to spend.
Damion Lee
After a rough playoff showing, Damion Lee is certainly not a priority for the Warriors. He and Moses Moody currently have very similar games, and the Warriors are clearly heading towards a youth movement. Having Lee and Moody will be quite redundant for the Warriors, and Moody is probably more valued than Lee in the Warriors' eyes. However, Lee should still garner interest from teams around the association, as he still provides decent floor-spacing and has the corporate knowledge of the Warriors. Teams like Sacramento or New Orleans will probably pursue Lee, as those teams were in the bottom 10 of the NBA in team 3-point field goal percentage but are trying to make an impact in the playoffs.
Andre Iguodala
Let's be honest, Iguodala is probably retiring. However, both the Warriors and Iguodala himself have expressed interest for him to officially be a part of the Warriors' staff.
The Two-Way Players
Like Juan Toscano-Anderson, the Warriors did not extend a qualifying offer to Chris Chiozza, which shows that the Warriors do not have a lot of interest in bringing him back. Quinndary Weatherspoon was the other two-way player for the Warriors last season, and to be honest, he seems deserving of a full-time NBA contract. When he got the NBA minutes, he played good defense and was an effective off-ball cutter, and when he was playing in the G-League, he showed that he was much better than the other G-League players. He averaged 25.3 points for the Warriors' G-League affiliate, yet he was not even first in minutes per game there. He probably will not garner much interest from other NBA teams, but the Warriors should consider bringing him in during training camp and let him compete for an official spot on the 15-man roster for the 2022-2023 season.
