The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions and now the team will try and keep the roster together and the main priority is Draymond Green, as he is a restricted free agent and he is likely to return with the Warriors able to match offers for him and this comes as the team may work to trade David Lee, while a contract extension could be in the works for Harrison Barnes.
The Warriors got some strong play from Green this year and he emerged as one of the best young forwards in the league for Golden State. The team intends to keep Green and all signs point to him staying as a restricted free agent. According to the Mercury News, the Warriors are likely going to match any offer sheets that Green gets on the market. Green pushed David Lee down in the rotation and the team now is looking to help facilitate a trade for the veteran.
Lee was shopped at the trade deadline this year, but Golden State opted to keep him and he helped the team win a championship, even in limited minutes. Lee was mostly a bench player for this season and the playoffs, but he embraced that role and now the team may help him find a better situation. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the team and Lee have "resolved to work together to find new home" for next season after his contributions this year.
Harrison Barnes had a very solid playoff run with the Warriors and he is looking to sign a contract extension this summer with the team. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Barnes wants to extend with the Warriors and the team reportedly is interested in working out a deal. Golden State sees Barnes as a valuable bench player and strong contributor to the offense and it comes after he set career highs with 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and nearly a steal per game for the Warriors.
The report says that Barnes could get around $10-$12 million per season and that would be a boost from his 2015-16 salary of nearly $4 million. Barnes was very solid in the postseason for the Warriors and averaged double digit point while helping the team win a title. Green is the main priority for the Warriors and while the team is confident that they can match any offers, there are teams out there that could be interested in pressing the issue.
Green reportedly hinted that he would be returning, saying to the Mercury News that he'll "be here," and that "I love this group of guys." This season Green averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 boards and nearly four assists per game and those were career bests after he averaged six points and five rebounds last season. Green could be a target for the Detroit Pistons, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes that Green could be interested in signing with his home town team. This is not expected though, as the Pistons feel that the Warriors will "match any offer sheet he signs".
