The Golden State Warriors' season ended on Wednesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated them.
The Warriors dealt with bad luck, particularly in the Western Conference semifinals. Superstar point guard Stephen Curry injured his hamstring and left the series' first game.
It was theorized that Curry could've returned if the series had gone to at least six games. After the Warriors took the first game, hopes were high that the Warriors could do just that.
Unfortunately, the Warriors dropped the remaining four games, and Curry could do nothing but watch as his team was eliminated.
Stephen Curry
Feb 24, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) grabs the rebound over Golden State Warriors center Jermaine O'Neal (7) and power forward David Lee (10) in the fourth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Warriors could target NBA champion in offseason
Without Curry, the Warriors looked for someone to take a step up in their game without his 24.5 points per game, and Jonathan Kuminga did just that.
Kuminga had played sparingly leading up to the playoffs and really only saw action when either Jimmy Butler or Curry were injured.
Unfortunately, Kuminga brings a lot of the same qualities as Butler, so, even with Kuminga's unexpected scoring outputs, they simply weren't a threat to shoot the three and didn't space the floor nearly as well.
That could change this offseason, though. Kuminga is set to become a restricted free agent and the Warriors could use him in a sign-and-trade scenario to get more pieces.
According to The Ringer's Logan Murdock, he expects that Boston Celtics guard Derrick White could be a target for Golden State.
White was huge for the Celtics down the stretch. He brings athleticism and defensive prowess, and he also displayed his sharpshooting ability against the New York Knicks.
White averaged 20.1 points per game in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
With the Celtics likely looking to cut costs under the new ownership and Jayson Tatum likely sidelined for much of next season, the Warriors could capitalize and make an offer for someone who could be Curry's perfect backcourt mate.