Whom might the Warriors pursue to fill out the roster in free agency?
The Golden State Warriors can begin negotiating contracts with free agents on Friday, although they can’t officially sign offer sheets until July 6.
The Warriors figure to be among the NBA’s busiest teams during the period.
Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this month. Retaining the forward remains atop Golden State’s list of offseason priorities, and there is confidence that the team will be able to do so. Green is reportedly seeking a multi-year extension in the $100 million-plus range.
While the Warriors remain in a financial crunch, trading Jordan Poole — and his $123 million guaranteed salary — along with Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins to Washington in exchange for Chris Paul last week should make the idea of meeting Green’s projected asking price more realistic. JaMychal Green and Andre Iguodala are both unrestricted free agents and aren’t expected to return in 2023-24, leaving Golden State with two more roster spots in the frontcourt to address.
In terms of the backcourt, The Chronicle confirmed on Tuesday that Donte DiVincenzo declined his $4.7 million player option and entered unrestricted free agency — a decision that was widely expected given the 26-year-old’s production last season on a modest deal. The Warriors could offer DiVincenzo only a four-year contract worth $5.4 million annually this summer. He simply outplayed the value of his deal and will almost certainly get a bigger payday elsewhere.
The Warriors announced on Thursday that they extended qualifying offers to Ty Jerome and Lester Quiñones, meaning Golden State can match any offer sheet they might receive from other teams. Anthony Lamb’s future with the franchise remains uncertain.
Assuming that Green re-signs, this is what the Warriors’ depth chart looks like entering free agency:
Starters: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Green, Kevon Looney
Reserves: Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II
Rookies: Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Because of the new collective bargaining agreement’s restrictions, the Warriors — who are over the second tax apron — are unable to sign players through the taxpayer mid-level exception, which they used to sign DiVincenzo last summer. And because of their hefty tax bill, they will likely carry 14 players on the roster next season instead of 15. With 11 roster locks, that means there are only three slots available — plus three two-way spots, courtesy of the new CBA.
Golden State will only be targeting cheaper players willing to accept a veteran minimum deal. With that in mind, here are four players who make sense, given the Warriors’ need for size and help on the wing.
Seth Curry, guard: Can you imagine the Curry brothers reunited once again in San Francisco? The move makes sense from a personnel perspective.
Like older brother Steph, Seth is one of the best shooters in NBA history, boasting a career percentage of 43.5% from behind the arc. He averaged 9.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season in Brooklyn while shooting 46.3% from the field and 40.5% from deep.
Seth Curry is a better playmaker than the numbers show, and could even play reserve minutes at point guard behind his brother and Paul if needed. However, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. values shooting. Seth Curry is one of the best marksmen in the business, and his addition would give Golden State another elite floor-spacer.
Seth Curry’s services likely won’t come cheap, so his availability may be wishful thinking for the Warriors. But if they can get him, this would be quite the signing — a guy who can absorb some of DiVincenzo’s minutes from last season.
Interactive How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting.
Yuta Watanabe, forward: The Warriors desperately need additional size and experience to add depth in the post behind Looney and, presumably, Green. Watanabe, a 6-foot-9 lefty who shot 44.4% from 3-point range last season in Brooklyn, fits the mold of Golden State’s preferred style of play.
Watanabe is also efficient from inside the arc; he shot 49.1% from the field last season — albeit on just four attempts per game across 58 appearances. But that’s not at issue since he would not be asked to play major minutes. The Warriors would need him to just be efficient and productive in the minutes he would receive as a floor-spacing threat.
Jerome, guard: A familiar face. Jerome is no longer eligible for two-way contract, but it would make sense for the Warriors to award him with a standard NBA contract entering the season.
Jerome averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and three assists in 45 regular-season games last season and already knows the system. Given Paul’s injury history it would make sense for the Warriors to carry a third point guard on the roster as a contingency plan.
Jerome is the type of traditional point guard head coach Steve Kerr values, and hes already has proved he can step in and step up when the team asks him to. Look no further than his 22-point performance in Golden State’s road win over Cleveland on Jan. 20.
Dario Saric, forward: Saric is not exactly a knockdown shooter from deep, but he shot 39.1% from distance across 57 games last season in Oklahoma City, so opposing teams have to respect it. And that would be beneficial for the Warriors.
At 6-foot-10, Saric is a versatile big with the type of basketball IQ that Golden State covets. At 29, he can still be an impactful player and a good fit in San Francisco at a bargain.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
