Festus Ezeli Contract: Latest News and Rumors on Negotiations with Warriors
The Golden State Warriors might be enjoying their first few months as the 2014-15 NBA champions, but there is work to be done to ensure that the roster keeps its structure to be able to threaten for a repeat. While he isn't the biggest name on the Warriors roster, center Festus Ezeli is one of the team's targets to lock up for the future.
According to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, Warriors general manager Bob Myers is keen on getting an Ezeli extension done:
"Bob Myers told KNBR the Warriors stocks to buy are Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli. Bob Myers to KNBR on extensions for Harrison Barnes & Festus Ezeli: "We're focused and motivated. Hopefully we can get something done."
"
Ezeli is signed through the 2016-17 season and is set to make over $5 million, according to Spotrac. With the way Myers speaks of him, it seems he is going to be a part of the Warriors' plans for the foreseeable future.
The 6'11" center will be going into his third season in the league; he's averaged just 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in about 13 minutes per game in his career while battling injuries. But Ezeli is an extremely hard-working big man who plays solid defense and works well in the air around the rim.
His play off the bench delivered vital minutes to the Warriors in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ezeli was able to create a presence down low when Timofey Mozgov was running wild, wearing down Cleveland's big man and giving Golden State's smaller lineup a chance for success.
Ezeli is 25 years old, and there's a possibility of him taking over the center position when the older Andrew Bogut moves on. But an extension would allow the Warriors to continue to mold him into a center who can work well on the floor down low as well as in distributing the ball to the numerous shooters who made Golden State so successful.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com
