Warriors Urged to Pursue Former No. 1 Pick, 3-Time All-Star in Free Agency

The NBA offseason is right around the corner and while superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are the headliners entering the summer due to trade rumors, there are also some key free agents for teams to sign.

One team that could end up being extremely active in both free agency and the trade market this summer is the Golden State Warriors after their second-round exit in the playoffs.

Golden State looked like a contender during the second half of the season after they acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to pair with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green but they are still a few pieces away from having a championship roster.

While many have urged the Warriors to try and add another star this offseason like Giannis or upgrade their center position with either Naz Reid or Nikola Vucevic, one writer has urged them to take a chance on a former first overall pick.

Sports Illustrated’s Ben Stinar recently urged the Warriors to sign former top pick and three-time All-Star Ben Simmons this summer in free agency.

“The Warriors could use more size, rebounding and playmaking (which are things that Simmons can still do well),” Stinar wrote.

This is an interesting take by Stinar but one that could make sense for the Warriors, especially if they were able to land Simmons on a cheap contract this offseason.

Of course, Simmons is no longer the star player that he was early on in his career with the Philadelphia 76ers but he was able to show flashes last season with the Los Angeles Clippers as being a key player off the bench.

Clippers' Ben Simmons next to Quinten Post.

Simmons is a great defender and playmaker who could not only backup Curry at the point guard position but also give Golden State more size down low as a potential backup to Green.

Because of this, Simmons could be a key piece off the bench for the Warriors if they elect to target him this summer, especially if they are able to save some salary on his contract to go after other players to upgrade their roster.