With Klay Thompson departing in free agency, the Warriors have been pretty active in the last few days trying to fill that void. Making some solid additions like Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton, the Warriors front office has made it clear that their goal is to win another title with Stephen Curry. However, despite the multiple moves, they might be destined to suffer the same fate as last season if they don’t improve any further. At least that’s what veteran analysts Nick Wright and Chris Broussard believe.

Addressing the Warriors’ free agency moves so far on First Things First, both analysts agreed on the notion that the team has not made any significant jump in becoming title contenders, with Wright saying, “They were the tenth best team last year in the Western Conference. They look about the same to me, which is a problem.”

Meanwhile, Broussard claimed that he would still pick the Lakers over Golden State even though Rob Pelinka has made no free agency moves so far. “I think the Lakers are slightly better than the Warriors because of AD (Anthony Davis) inside and their size overall. I think they are generally better.” But it’s not like the Warriors have not made any effort to get better. Trying to replace the lethal shooting of Klay, they acquired Buddy Hield from the Sixers, hoping to form a new Splash Brother duo with Steph. Shooting 38.9% from deep range last season, Buddy is one of the best shooters in the league and has been for many years.

Apart from the Buddy addition, the Warriors also did a commendable job stealing Kyle Anderson from the Wolves on a three-year $27 million deal. And even Broussard acknowledged Anderson’s impact with a massive claim, “Kyle Anderson to me is like a poor man’s Draymond. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he defends well, he’s a great passer, has a great feel for the game, smart player but doesn’t shoot.” With such a versatile skillset, Kyle even played a huge role in making the Wolves the best defensive team in the league last season. And he could have that same impact in the Golden State. But the Warriors might still need a major piece to make them title contenders again.

Lauri Markkanen could solve the Warriors’ problems

Although the Hield and Anderson addition are both good moves, the Warriors still need a second scoring option alongside Steph to help them achieve their title dreams. As of now, their second-best scorer is arguably Jonathan Kuminga, who averaged 16.1 points last season and is constantly improving. But Wright doesn’t have much faith in the Warriors if Kuminga remains their second option, “Even if Kuminga ascends, if Jonathan Kuminga in his current or even in his improved form, but not five years from now Jonathan Kuminga, is your second-best guy, you’re dead. You’re dead, unless your best guy is Jokic or Giannis.”

But if the Warriors somehow manage to lure star forward Lauri Markkanen, a player they have been pursuing all summer, then most of their problems will be resolved. Turning into a superstar after joining the Jazz two seasons ago, Lauri averaged 23.2 points this past season along with over eight rebounds. With a potential to solve the Warriors’ size problem, the team has reportedly even made a “substantial” trade offer to the Jazz front office, hoping to pair Lauri with Steph. And even Broussard believes that move will significantly improve Golden State’s title chances, “I actually think Markkanen would elevate them to contender status in the West. Now I am not saying the top contender, but I think they would join that group.”

With that hope, the Warriors will probably do everything they can to get their hands on the seven-footer. Do you think the Warriors can get back to being title contenders again?