Report: Warriors' Cook drawing interest from multiple teams - NBCSports.com

After seven straight trips to the playoffs, the last five reaching the NBA Finals, the Warriors on Sunday wade into their most active and perilous summer since earning elite status.

When the free-agent negotiation period opens at 3 p.m. PT with a league-wide frenzy, the Warriors will be sprinting as fast they can, engaging in a flurry of visits, phone calls, text messages and probably a few FaceTime connections.

With the franchise's immediate future at stake, the front office, with president/general manager Bob Myers as its center, is tasked with trying to revamp a roster deftly enough to produce an eighth consecutive winning season for the first time in Warriors history.

The Warriors are willing to spend, but Myers will need to be at his most persuasive. He’ll need to be creative and skillful. He’ll need some luck.

Best-case scenario

The Warriors re-sign both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, securing both as they rehabilitate serious injuries, while also getting Kevon Looney’s signature on the dotted line. All three will be unrestricted free agents.

Thompson, awaiting surgery to repair a torn ACL, already has agreed to return, with the Warriors offering the 29-year-old shooting guard the maximum $190 million over five years.

The chances of retaining Durant or Looney are much less certain.

The Warriors are ready to offer KD the supermax of $221 million over five years, even though he is unlikely to play in 2019-20 after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. But Durant, 30, plans to meet with the Nets, Knicks, Clippers and Warriors, with Stephen Curry reportedly joining Myers in an effort to keep the highly productive combo forward in the Bay Area.

Looney, 23, is being courted by several teams, most notably the Rockets. Whether Houston is willing to outbid the Warriors is another matter. Looney’s rise, becoming a consistent member of the playing rotation over the past two seasons, has made him valuable. Coach Steve Kerr has made clear his hope of having Looney back.

If the Warriors accomplish this, they’ll breathe easy and absorb some lumps next season.

Worst-cast scenario

The Lakers sign free agent Kawhi Leonard, adding him to Anthony Davis (acquired via trade) to complete the most impressive double offseason addition by any team since Miami’s dramatic 2010 acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

That core group would form the basis for the Lakers to practically co-opt the description that made the Warriors infamous: Super Villains.

Sure, Los Angeles would need to fill out its roster -- forward Kyle Kuzma would be the only holdover besides LeBron -- but the front office would have a lot of bait to lure veterans. It’s a team to win now, in LA, with LeBron in his final seasons.

The chance to join top-10 players and chase a championship in a geographically desirable region is a formula with which the Warriors are quite familiar.

If a LeBron/Kawhi/AD trio opens the season in LA, the Lakers would reclaim their place as Kings of California (sorry, Sacramento) while supplanting the Warriors as the NBA’s biggest attraction.

What’s likely to happen

The Warriors expect to come away from the free-agent market with respected vets who are willing to be a part of a franchise with supportive ownership and a recent history of great success. There’s reason to believe they can.

They’ll browse big men, such as Robin Lopez, Frank Kaminsky, Nerlens Noel and Nene -- and don’t count out ex-Warriors Zaza Pachulia or JaVale McGee.

They’ll shop for forwards, such as vets such as DeMarre Carroll, Anthony Tolliver, Rudy Gay and Taj Gibson. Take a look at a youngster like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

They’ll study guards, too. Danny Green and J. J. Redick will be on the market, as will Austin Rivers, who is said to be interested.

The Warriors next season will emphasize youth, so there will be ample opportunities for rookies. There also is a reason 30-year-old Jimmer Fredette is on the Summer League roster.

The free-agent market has more than 200 names. The Warriors would be delighted to come away with three they like. They’ll be satisfied to evaluate young players while also being confident of having a competitive roster around veterans Curry, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala for the inaugural season at Chase Center.

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