Golden State Warriors: Andris Biedrins Signing Completes Tumultuous Off Season

The re-signing of Andris Biedrins should be the last of the big moves made by Golden State this off season. His moderate price of nearly $63 million for six years, is another example of the shrewd financial maneuvering that has characterized the last two years of Golden State Warriors basketball.

Last summer, Chris Mullin was tight with the purse-strings. But, with the departure of Baron Davis, he was forced to re-establish much of the team. Some of the acquisitions show frugality, while others convey a willingness to throw cash around.

In the end, the effects of these signings on payroll will determine the team’s direction for the next few years.

Monta Ellis

This signing is easily the gem of the off season thus far for Mullin: Six years and $67 million. Are you kidding me? This is a mulligan for not re-signing Gilbert Arenas after 2003.

Ellis is coming off a season that is, in some ways, better than Arenas' last in Oakland. He typfied this by having fewer turnovers, fewer assists, increased scoring and better  overall shooting. Plus, Mullin got him at a bargain rate for more than half a decade.

Even if Ellis’ game doesn’t grow at all, he is still an efficient 20-point scorer worthy of this contract. Moreover, he could develop better point guard skills, defensive skills, and improved shooting range.

It looks even better when one takes into account the fact that Mully needed this signing but didn’t overpay. If Ellis left, the front office's credibility with fans would be shot.

Great runs are often built with a few contracts grossly under market value (think Scottie Pippen in Chicago). If Ellis grows as he should, this signing could fit that category.

Finally, this signing is so good it almost makes one forget about the Adonal Foyle and Derrick Fisher deals… almost.

Andris Biedrins

He has just reportedly re-signed with the Warriors, making this the second most important move of the off season. It might even prove to be more vital than Ellis' signing.

Biedrins was the NBA’s third best rebounder on a per minute basis and the rest of his game is vital to the team’s future. There are simply not many young big men as athletic and quick as Biedrins. His feel on pick-and-rolls and willingness to fill the role of a "garbage man" for the team, is another crucial factor that make him a must keep player.

Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting that the deal has reached six years and pays nearly $63 million. The best part of this is that the money is still pretty fair: $10.5 million a season is a good amount for such a valuable player.

The next six years of Dubs basketball will assuredly be built around Biedrins and Ellis. Having those two as cogs and some key role players around them is a good way to start moving forward past Baron’s departure.

Corey Maggette

When he signed a contract for five years and $50 million, many Warriors' fans cringed by citing his lack of defensive intensity and inclination to pass as crucial flaws. However, after the initial shock wore off, the move looks much better.

Good scorers cost money and there is just no way around it. Maggette fits that bill and is good at both getting to and shooting from the free-throw line. Mullin also pointed out that he could help the younger players with physical development due to his good work ethic in the gym.

Vince Carter earns a good deal more than Maggette will, but he can’t play defense or live up to his reputation in crunch time. Jason Richardson doesn’t attack the hoop much and has flaws in his game.

The addition might have been a bit short sighted, since it seems unlikely that a player with Maggette’s skills will lead a team to a title. Nevertheless, the money they paid him was quite close to what he should be earning.

At the very worst, he becomes an expiring contract in three years (Theo Ratliff was traded about 17 times as an expiring contract) and would be a trade chip.

Maggette is a bit overpaid but not too much so. His price tag is right in the range for high scoring iso-players

Ronny Turiaf

It’s not that over $4 million per year for four seasons is a huge chunk of change. But, for a player who does not address much need, it is excessive. Turiaf’s game will need  adapt to the Warrior system or he could end up like many of the failed big man experiments of last year.

He can hit mid-range shots, while not effectively score in the post. He can Defend his man, but won’t erase mistakes on the perimeter. He is an energy guy, but likely won’t be able to run at the Warrior’s pace.

One thing that endeared Turiaf to Phil Jackosn was his willingness as a passer. As we saw with Webber, that skill will be surely utilized by Nellie.

Turiaf gives the Dubs a second post defender and a nice option on the pick-and-pop. However, for $17 million, shouldn’t the team get some help in rebounding and low post scoring? Hell, his rebound rate last season was only slightly better than Al Harrington.

Kelenna Azubuike

He’s a nice role player and at three years and $9 million, his contract has is financially very low in impact. He is basically Jason Richardson like and gives the bonus of playing hard on defense.

Now, if Don Nelson can just give him a secure spot in the rotation, it would be a great move in keeping him. In the 2007-2008 season, Nellie gave Azubuike a lot of court time early in the season and then reduced his role before pulling him off the bench again in the stretch run.

This is the way for keeping a good role player at a tasty price.

Marcus Williams

His contract is slightly bigger than one would like with $1.2 million next year, increasing at $2 million and $3 million in the two years after that. The issue with this acquisition, however, comes with the cost.

The New Jersey Nets will receive a draft pick at some point in the future, the earliest chance being a lottery protected pick in 2011. If the Warriors are in the lottery that year, it rolls over and the protection shrinks. The trade off of this awkward setup is that the Warriors will have to keep missing the playoffs to keep their pick.

Giving up a pick is dangerous because the NBA draft is simply a crapshoot. Players like Rodney Stuckey and Steve Nash fall to 15 while the top 10 is littered with high profile busts.

The price of a first rounder is too high for a mediocre point guard.

That leads to the fact that Williams is just not that good. The only skills he brings are decent three point shooting and the ability to "run" the point. He is still a poor shooter (under 40 percent), slow, and is so bad on defense that this move all but assures that opposing point guards will be lighting up the Warriors consistently.

Furthermore, throw in the fact that his play has often been described as erratic.

This trade seems, vaguely, like some of the moves made by the San Francisco Giants before Barry Bonds left. They signed mediocre major leaguers at the cost of picks because they knew what they were getting. The problem was that they were getting players that everyone else knew were pretty bad.

This is that kind of signing.

The potential for a good player was given up for someone who will be lucky to be the eighth guy in a rotation.

Was there really no one else out there that was any good?

Anthony Morrow

Another swingman for Nellie to experiment with. The kid basically blew up the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league. So why not give him a chance?

His contract is not guaranteed, according to reports. So, there is really no risk involved.

If he can keep hitting threes like he did in Utah (.692), he could be the consistent spot-up shooter off the bench that the Warriors have desperately needed for a while.

This is a good pickup. If he at worst fails against NBA competition and gets hype, he can leverage for a contract overseas and the Warriors lose nothing.