Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant (Photo : Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors could be the host of a super team consisting of the Splash brothers, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki.
Following a heartbreaking end to their historical season, the Warriors are expected to pursue top free agents in this summer's free agency. According to several reports, two of the names the Warriors may chase are OKC Thunder star Kevin Durant and long-time Dallas Mavericks All-Star Dirk Nowitzki.
ESPN's Marc Stein believes Durant, whose Thunder team fell to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, will be the top priority of Golden State in free agency.
"The Golden State Warriors, after their NBA Finals defeat, are going ahead with their long-held plans to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency, according to league sources," Stein wrote.
Durant, one of the most coveted free agent stars in the market, would be in almost every team's radar in July. The four-time scoring champion would make any teams an instant contender, and, for the Warriors, would put them in the front seat to win another title.
There is a growing sense that Durant, after getting close to a trip to the NBA Finals, will have another run with the Thunder and his close buddy Russell Westbrook. But if Durant chooses other destinations, it is speculated by the New York Daily News' Frank Isola that the Thunder star would "prefer to join the Warriors."
Meanwhile, Nowitzki could be another possible target for the Warriors once the market opens in July, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
Nowitzki, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, would probably be the highest priority for the Mavs, who have consistently made the playoffs, but never an NBA Finals appearance or even close to that since winning a title in 2011. But if the Mavs fail to convince the German 7-footer to stay, the Warriors would be a perfect destination for Nowitzki.
The Warriors seem inclined to overhaul their bench regardless of the result of the NBA Finals, with the likes of Marreese Speights, Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa also testing free agency this summer. Golden State also face a tough situation of retaining backup center Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes, who enters the offseason as restricted free agents.
Nowitzki may no longer be in his prime, but his shooting skills remain impressive and will certainly come in handy for a Warriors team who lack a scoring big man. If the Warriors could sign Dirk, the team could give him a spot in the second unit and play backup minutes behind Draymond Green.
The Warriors only have a projected cap space of $12.7 million this summer, which means they need to make some trades and let go of some of their key players to make some room for Durant and Nowitzki, who are both expected to seek max deals.
Adding Durant and Nowitzki, the Warriors get their ultimate weapons to fend off any other contenders in the league even another potential LeBron James-led superteam. But whether it only be Durant or Nowitzki, the Warriors still get a reinforcement for the next season.
