The Golden State Warriors do not have much flexibility this summer. Such is the cost of having perhaps the best five-man lineup in NBA history. As with all super teams, though, the two-time defending champs tend to attract veterans who are willing to sacrifice some salary in order to have the priceless experience of playing at the highest level. 

This is how we end up wondering if the Warriors might be able to convince DeAndre Jordan to take the $5.3 million mini-midlevel exception; a decision that sounds ludicrous at first but somehow seems plausible when you take into account Jordan's situation. Ten years into his career, all of them spent with the Los Angeles Clippers, he has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

The Jordan rumor illustrates that Golden State cannot be dismissed in free agency. Beyond that $5.3 million exception -- if the front office chooses to use it, that is -- it can offer minimum contracts to fill out the roster. That was enough to convince David West and Omri Casspi to come aboard in years past, and the popular name here this summer is Jamal Crawford. The lure of the Warriors is powerful, and their bench will look totally different next season.

If Golden State is going to be a player in free agency, then, who exactly should Bob Myers' front office target? Beyond the high-profile candidates for the mini-midlevel -- Jordan, Tyreke Evans, Trevor Ariza, J.J. Redick, Rudy Gay -- there is one veteran who stands out as a perfect target. He played on a minimum contract last season. He has played for six teams in the past six years. He has a career scoring average of 6.4 points per game.

I am talking, of course, about Luc Mbah a Moute, the best bargain signing in the league last offseason. Mbah a Moute and fellow summer-of-2017 addition P.J. Tucker turned the Houston Rockets into an elite defensive team -- when they shared the court, Houston allowed a ridiculous 98.3 points per 100 possessions. Poaching Mbah a Moute would be a solid move in and of itself, but it would also weaken the Warriors' biggest threat. As close as Houston came to making the NBA Finals, it's not difficult to make the argument that it would have knocked Golden State out if Mbah a Moute wasn't dealing with an immobilizing shoulder injury.

When engaged, the Warriors are a dominant defensive team already. Imagine them with Mbah a Moute, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green on the court at the same time. That is an absurd amount of basketball IQ -- a Big 3 based on anticipation, angles and agility. As a bonus, the 31-year-old Mbah a Moute showed last season that he has more off-the-dribble game than anyone ever gave him credit for -- as long as the floor is spaced, that is. (Spacing should, uh, not be a huge problem in Golden State.)

The Rockets, by the way, are in a similar situation to the Warriors with regards to flexibility, only with more uncertainty about the core coming back. Even if you assume that they will re-sign Chris Paul and match any offer for restricted free agent Clint Capela, they could lose Ariza, a crucial part of the formula that won them 65 games last year. He is expected to take meetings with other teams, according to Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania. If they lose Ariza or Mbah a Moute, they will be desperate for other versatile defenders to take discounts, and there are not that many of those guys available.

Should the Warriors go after Mbah a Moute, it would not grab headlines like the Jordan rumors or even the Crawford rumors. It would indicate, though, that they have learned their lesson after giving Nick Young their MLE last season. In a roundabout way, it would also be a sign of respect for what Daryl Morey's front office has built in Houston. This is a cut-throat business, and if Golden State can strengthen itself while dealing the Rockets a blow, it should be a no-brainer.