The 5 Best Value Free Agents for Golden State Warriors in 2015 Offseason
Given the strong likelihood that the Golden State Warriors will be over the cap next season, and with only the taxpayer’s mid-level exception worth around $5.4 million at their disposal, general manager Bob Myers will have to get creative.
Every summer there is a star or two on the market who could alter the landscape of the entire league if moved. And every summer there are a handful of players that, given the right role on the right team, end up thriving for their new franchise.
Those are the guys that we’ll be talking about here—the value guys. Players who don’t draw the same headlines that their max-contract-seeking peers do but still quietly perform well enough to make an impact.
Mike Dunleavy
1 of 5
2014-15 Stats: 9.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.0 TOPG, 11.6 PER
2014-15 Salary: $3.3 million
Despite his age (34), Mike Dunleavy still has a lot to offer an NBA franchise, most notably his ability to hit threes at a high rate.
In 63 games as a member of the Chicago Bulls this past season, the 13-year veteran knocked down 40.7 percent of his three-point looks before going on to shoot 48.9 percent from deep in 12 postseason contests.
Granted, a 12-game sample size is admittedly a small one. But Dunleavy’s 45.4 percent conversion rate from downtown in 26 career playoff games is more than enough to sway one away from believing this year’s performance was a fluke.
The former Duke Blue Devil was also effective on the less glamorous end, where the Bulls were nearly two points better with him compared to without. And while not exactly stellar, his 106 defensive rating was good enough to tie him for fourth-best on the Chicago roster.
Perhaps what’s best about Dunleavy at this stage of his career, though, is his willingness to take on a smaller role than he was once used to.
Over the past five years, Dunleavy has failed to register a usage rate of at least 20 percent, proving that he doesn’t constantly need the basketball to be effective.
All things considered, as well as familiarity with the organization (the Warriors drafted him third overall in the 2002 draft), Dunleavy would be a great get for Golden State this offseason as he would fit in seamlessly with what Steve Kerr preaches on both ends.
Although he’s spent the majority of his time playing small forward, he could really be helpful serving as Klay Thompson’s primary backup at the 2-guard.
Gary Neal
2 of 5
2014-15 Stats: 10.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 1.2 TOPG, 11.1 PER
2014-15 Salary: $3.3 million
Gary Neal had a rough go at it during the 2014-15 season, splitting time between the Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves while trying to bounce back from minor injuries.
But if what we’ve seen from Neal in the past is legitimate, the five-year pro would fit well with this current Warriors group.
A career 38.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc, the Towson University product has serious skill as a spot-up threat, and at 6’4”, he has the size to play shooting guard—a position of need for the Dubs.
Neal also has extensive postseason experience, thanks to a three-year stint with the San Antonio Spurs to begin his career.
He isn’t particularly effective defensively at this stage in his career, but the potential is there. After seeing the Hornets perform nearly four points better with him on the pine, Neal improved the T’Wolves’ defensive attack by almost nine points when he was active.
Either way, both teams would end up posting below-average defensive ratings with him in the lineup.
Playing on a bench unit alongside the likes of Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston might just be enough to hide Neal’s deficiencies, though.
Jameer Nelson
3 of 5
2014-15 Stats: 8.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 1.7 TOPG, 12.1 PER
2014-15 Salary: $2.7 million
Jameer Nelson has a player option worth about $2.8 million next season, and as of right now, it appears the Denver Nuggets want him back.
But according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, the Nuggets’ next head coach will be “one of the biggest things” impacting the veteran point guard’s decision.
Should Nelson decide to leave, Golden State should have him firmly on their radar.
Having spent 11 years in the NBA, Nelson has seen just about everything there is to see in this league, including the pressures of playing in the NBA Finals (lost in 2009 Finals with Orlando).
The former All-Star would be a huge upgrade over impending free agent Leandro Barbosa, yet he’s small enough to play alongside the larger Livingston.
Nelson simply has a better mindset and understanding of the game (5.3 career assists per game) to play the point guard position at a high level, whereas Barbosa is more of a scoring combo guard.
Adding a player of Nelson’s caliber to their second unit would give Golden State that veteran leader that every good team needs on its bench.
Wesley Johnson
4 of 5
2014-15 Stats: 9.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.1 TOPG, 11.1 PER
2014-15 Salary: $981,804
Wesley Johnson hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype that comes with being the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA draft, and at this point, he probably never will.
That’s fine, though, because if the Warriors were to sign him this offseason, it wouldn’t be because they're trying to crack the enigma that is Johnson. Rather, they would be looking for him to play solid defensive minutes at the backup shooting guard spot.
Johnson’s defensive metrics are admittedly poor. His best defensive rating to this point in his career was a subpar 107 he recorded during his sophomore season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But how much of that can be credited to Johnson? Is it possible that playing on bad teams throughout his career has hampered his numbers on that end of the floor? Maybe.
At 6’7”, 205 pounds, the former Syracuse standout has the size, length and athletic ability to successfully check most 2-guards in the league, although it would behoove him to bulk up a bit more.
With the help of defensive guru Ron Adams, Johnson could end up playing a sizable role as a defensive stopper for this Warriors club. And while his career 34.7 percent clip from downtown isn’t all that impressive, it’s a start and something Kerr could definitely work with.
Marcus Thornton
5 of 5
2014-15 Stats: 7.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 0.6 TOPG, 15.0 PER
2014-15 Salary: $8.6 million
After playing really well in 39 games for the Boston Celtics, Marcus Thornton lost all of his momentum when he was traded to the Phoenix Suns at the February trade deadline.
Rather than help the Suns reach the postseason, Thornton managed to sneak into just nine games throughout the remainder of the season.
And while injuries certainly played a role in his lack of playing time, they definitely weren’t the end-all, be-all.
Thornton, however, did mange to shoot a scorching 41.9 percent from three-point range while with the Celtics, using his ability to shoot off the catch and the bounce effectively.
Defensively, he’s a bit of a nightmare, but the same can be said for a couple of the other candidates on this list, and Golden State is good enough on that end to hide some of its weaker links.
The main focus behind signing Thornton would be to add a spark-plug scorer off the bench who could help keep the offense thriving while Stephen Curry and Thompson get a breather.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
Tim MacLean is a Bleacher Report featured columnist who covers the Golden State Warriors. Follow him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
