NBA 2016 free agency rumors: How will the Golden State Warriors retool the roster after NBA Finals loss?
Despite posting a record-setting 73 regular season wins and a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance, it's hard to term the Golden State Warriors' 2015-16 season a success after such a heartbreaking conclusion, and now the team will go about rectifying that one painful shortcoming.
Not long after their stunning Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, reports about what the team plans to do this offseason already began to surface online.
ESPN's Marc Stein mentioned in a recent article that the team's officials have already turned their attention to the offseason, and in particular, to the pursuit of unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant.
That's not all however, because in a recent article from The Mercury News' Tim Kawakami, it was revealed that the Warriors are also targeting long-time Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki.
Signing either player would most definitely help a team that struggled down the stretch against a stifling Cleveland defense that kept them from winning back-to-back titles.
Both players are outstanding shooters, and placed alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, they can become even greater threats.
It's unclear just how well-positioned the Warriors are to land either player however, as Nowitzki has a strong bond with Dallas and that organization, while Durant will have plenty of other teams chasing him and also the allure of staying in Oklahoma City and winning a title there that could prevent him from making the jump to Golden State.
Durant and Nowitzki are probably longshot acquisitions at this point in the offseason, though that may not be enough to deter a team that just had its heart broken in such a painful manner.
The Warriors appear to be utilizing a swing for the fences approach to this offseason, and if it works, then the rewards could be incredible, as landing Durant and/or Nowitzki can turn them into significant title favorites.
Focusing on just those two free agents isn't that risky of a proposition either because even if the Warriors are unable to sign either, they can still give the current roster another go at the title and be confident that they are good enough to challenge for the championship once again.
The Golden State Warriors are thinking big this offseason, and if they succeed, then they may be in prime position to once again walk away with the NBA championship.