Ranking the Warriors' potential free agent targets

June 28, 2023
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With few roster spots open and a draconian new collective bargaining agreement, the start of free agency won’t exactly be a frenzy for the Golden State Warriors.

But that doesn’t mean newly installed GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his team will just sit on their hands come Friday at 3 p.m., when free agency officially begins. There are real NBA players with serviceable skill sets available that can fit within the Dubs’ tight budget of a few veteran minimum deals. (This operates on the assumption that Draymond Green will return to the Dubs; Green is still taking meetings around the league, but all signs point to his return.)

So who should they go after, with the “two timelines” plan clearly killed in favor of chasing one more Steph Curry-led title? Here are some of the most intriguing names that have surfaced, ranked from worst to best fit for Golden State. Players are listed with their previous team and their stats for the 2022-23 season.

7. Anthony Lamb (Warriors)

62 games, 6.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 47.1% FG

Technically he is a free agent and his name has been connected to the Warriors this summer. But they should not sign him.

6. Juan Toscano-Anderson (Lakers/Jazz)

52 g, 3.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 44.8% FG

The Warriors’ hometown hero parlayed the 2022 title run to a contract with the Lakers, which was eventually flipped to Salt Lake City. He didn’t exactly show out on either team, but he knows the Warriors system, adds size to a team that needs it and can provide some depth at forward. Plus, who doesn’t love a good reunion, especially from someone who spent a lot of time around Chase Center during the playoffs?

5. Thomas Bryant (Lakers/Nuggets)

59 g, 9.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.5 apg, 62.3% FG

Warriors fans were so desperate for a big man last season, they harassed publicly exiting general manager Bob Myers over it. So surely they’ll be excited for a 6-foot-10 center who was receiving comps to Wilt Chamberlain at one point in his career, right? OK, that was five years ago, but still: Bryant would bring much-needed size depth and energy in the frontcourt. It would be nice to not solely rely on Kevon Looney in that part of the lineup. And we know he has the chutzpah to post up and call for the ball even if the current ball handler is about to make history.

4. Ty Jerome (Warriors)

45 g, 6.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 48.8% FG, 38.9% 3PT

Jerome showed last year he’s capable of leading a second unit when Steph Curry was hurt. Even with the addition of Chris Paul, the old guys are going to need some serious time off. Jerome had a solid bounceback from behind the arc, shooting nearly 39%, and his feathery floaters in the paint can be dangerous.

3. Dennis Smith Jr. (Hornets)

54 g, 8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.8 apg, 41.2% FG

Smith might not be the long-range shooter that people have come to expect from the Warriors backcourt, but he’s a bold athletic guard who knows how to drive into the paint with reckless abandon. That might sound like a slight, but the Dubs can often trap themselves in a stagnant offense where they just hunt for threes the entire time and settle for a shot from the last player with the ball. Smith had a solid season in Charlotte, bringing some life back into his career, and was one of the better defenders on the Hornets.

2. Dario Saric (Suns/Thunder)

57 g, 6.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 45.8% FG, 39.1% 3FG

Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported Tuesday that “another frontcourt option who can shoot it is the top priority.” Saric is that man through and through. After looking like an outright stud in Philadelphia, his stock has fallen significantly, and he’s been mostly a bench guy in recent years, especially after his 2021 ACL injury. That hasn’t stopped him from putting up solid shooting numbers, though. If he’s fallen off enough that other teams aren’t offering him anything, he’d be a perfect case of the Warriors picking up a veteran for a surprisingly cheap deal that everyone will be incredulous about come spring.

1. Yuta Watanabe (Nets)

58 g, 5.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 49.1% FG, 44.4% 3FG

I mean, just look at that last number. Watanabe is a 6-foot-9 wing with the athleticism to blow by Jonathan Kuminga and the range to keep up the Warriors’ constant threat from behind the arc, even while the Splash Bros sit. What he lacks in traditional big man skills he makes up for with his shooting and glove-like fit into Steve Kerr’s motion offense. He’s also only gotten better every year of his career — including the number of threes he’s taken — while maintaining a low enough profile that Golden State could get the steal of the offseason with him.

Source: SFGATE