Golden State Warriors' Updated Free-Agency Big Board
The Golden State Warriors, fresh off two world titles in three years, are so loaded they've spawned an NBA's weapons race.
While everyone else has looked to increase their arsenals, the Dubs have focused on keeping everything in place. Since free agency opened Saturday morning, they've reached agreements with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and David West.
That puts 11 players under contract, two at the 1 through 4 spots and three at the 5. But there's still some shopping to do, both internally and externally.
There are minimal funds with which to fill out the roster, but that's not the burden it would be elsewhere after three consecutive NBA Finals berths. Golden State holds obvious appeal to success-starved veterans, and its successful track record will carry weight with those in need of reputation repairs.
In other words, the Warriors will have options, even if they aren't sexy. That's important because there are still areas to address at the forward spots and center. The five best realistic free-agent targets are listed and ranked here.
5. Michael Beasley, SF/PF, Unrestricted
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The Warriors had the best backup power forward in the NBA last season by a mile. Of course, that player (Durant) also happened to be their starting small forward when he shifted down in small-ball lineups.
Michael Beasley might seem like a Hail Mary attempt to fill that void, but he's quietly trending in the right direction. After starting 2015-16 in China, he returned to the Houston Rockets and posted a career-best 22.5 player efficiency rating over 20 games. Last season, he supplied the Milwaukee Bucks with 9.4 points in only 16.7 minutes per game while hitting at personal-best rates from the field (53.2) and outside (41.9).
"Beasley was good last season," CBS Sports' Matt Moore wrote. "That's weird to say after his myriad foibles, but he genuinely contributed to Milwaukee. ... Beasley gets buckets and has learned to get them efficiently. Even his defense is acceptable now. He'll never be the savviest player, but he's a genuine weapon now."
The Warriors have been paying attention and are eyeing Beasley in free agency, according to Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson II.
For the right price, it could make a lot of sense. Even if Beasley is a one-dimensional contributor, he can help ignite the second unit and space the offensive end if he keeps shooting like he did in Milwaukee. If Steve Kerr and Co. can elicit a more consistent defensive effort and work on Beasley's ball stopping, there's some potential for a steal.
Based on his track record, this could boom or bust. But this roster is deep enough to gamble.
4. JaVale McGee, C, Unrestricted
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Golden State's training-camp invite to JaVale McGee proved to be a life preserver. His career barely had a pulse last October, but by June he was a contributing role player for the champs.
He became a necessary luxury. It had been so long since Golden State had a hyper-explosive center that it had an almost comical commitment to throwing lobs to the springy 7-footer. In return, McGee gave everything he could in limited bursts. He averaged just 9.6 minutes per game, but they were magical—23.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per 36 minutes (team-high plus-18.7 net rating).
It seems like the ideal role. He's just asked to play above the rim both ways while surrounded by a historically proficient offense and an elite defense. When McGee says he wants to return, it's hard not to believe him.
It's also easy to envision market forces working against that desire.
"He has said that he wants to return to Golden State, but he'll almost certainly get more lucrative offers from other teams," Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote. "McGee is such an intriguing physical presence that several clubs are bound to offer him a big contract in hopes that he'll thrive in an expanded role."
If the Warriors can afford McGee, they're interested in keeping him around, a source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. But if McGee prices his way out, Golden State might get by with one of its youngsters—looking at you, Damian Jones—filling in as the change-of-pace third center.
3. Vince Carter, SG/SF, Unrestricted
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Vince Carter has made two things clear this offseason: He wants to win, and he wants to have a role while doing it.
The winning part is easy, since the Warriors are rolling at an unprecedented rate over the last three seasons. The playing portion isn't as cut and dry, even with Carter coming off his best campaign in three years (8.0 points per game, 37.8 three-point percentage).
The 40-year-old's age alone would make his minutes monitored closely by a club planning to go on yet another lengthy playoff run. And his lack of versatility—he's essentially a three-and-D specialist at this stage—might slot him fourth on Golden State's reserve perimeter rotation.
Based on his recent comments on NBA TV, he seems like he's targeting a bigger role than the Warriors can offer:
"I want to play. For sure. The chasing of the championship thing ... I just feel like if I'm 43, 44 ... when it gets there and I'm not able to compete at that level and someone still would love to have me on their bench, then maybe. But right now I want to play, I want to contribute. I think I can play in this league. I'm looking to play some minutes."
That's where this gets tricky. Carter's shooting, experience, basketball IQ and demeanor would all fit seamlessly with the Warriors. But if he wants minutes badly enough—he's reportedly meeting with the Sacramento Kings, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Haynes—this might work better on paper than it does in practice, hence the No. 3 ranking here.
2. Zaza Pachulia, C, Unrestricted
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The Warriors could conceivably return their three-headed monster at center, but they seem more likely to bring either JaVale McGee or Zaza Pachulia back, not both. While McGee might win the fan vote, Pachulia's ability to handle a more significant role should garner him more favor with the front office.
As the fifth starter alongside one of the best quartets ever assembled, Pachulia took some time to get adjusted. But once he got settled, he thrived as an all-guts, no-glory grunt. He provided a physical presence on the boards (11.6 per 36 minutes), on defense (3.23 defensive real plus-minus, 16th overall, per ESPN.com) and on the perimeter (6.9 screen assists per 36 minutes, tied for fourth-most).
While McGee fluctuated between monster outings and forgetful ones, Pachulia was almost steady to the point of being boring. Neither can crack this team's closing lineup, but Pachulia's smarts and instincts make him playable in any matchup. McGee's struggles with certain assignments and rotations can be exploited by advanced attacks.
Even if Pachulia didn't have on-court advantages, he might still be the pick because of his willingness to fit the budget. He turned down larger offers to play in the Bay last time around and has said for months he'll do so again.
"When people ask me about [free agency] this summer, I say, 'I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here,'" Pachulia said in February, per Letourneau. "Even after June, I'm staying here."
Golden State's commitment probably isn't quite as firm—Dewayne Dedmon was a rumored target before the cap space was spent, per USA Today's Sam Amick. But with their financial constraints, the Warriors would get tremendous value in bringing Pachulia back.
1. Nick Young, SG/SF, Unrestricted
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Sources told ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski that Nick Young is a "serious candidate" to join the defending champs. It's tough to tell where the odds sit, but this is far enough along for Draymond Green to do some social media recruiting.
Some might receive this news with an eye roll or a chuckle, but a closer examination reveals the potential for sneaky-good value. And no, the value isn't in increasing Golden State's already unmatched entertainment factor or further validating its rehabilitation prowess.
The Warriors, likely in need of a microwave replacement for Ian Clark, can envision this potential partnership proving mutually beneficial.
"They believe their locker room can handle, even do some good for, the reputed eccentric guard," Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson II wrote. "And after his production last season with the Lakers, the Warriors think he can be potent surrounded by all their talent."
Young's three-point cannon could prove lethal with the Warriors. He splashed 44.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season—a better mark than Klay Thompson's 43.8—in a Lakers offense that ranked 24th in efficiency and 26th in assist percentage. Golden State could overload Young with open looks, while his reputation for catching fire in an instant would help create ideal floor spacing.
While offense would drive this deal, the 6'7" swingman wasn't a traffic cone on defense last season. If he buys in to playing that end the same way he did for former Warriors assistant Luke Walton, Young could shoulder a heavier load than Clark carried and potentially ease the regular-season burden on the 30-something reserve wings.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball Reference or NBA.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
