Andrew Bogut Agrees to Contract with Warriors After Leaving Sydney Kings

Three years ago, the Golden State Warriors traded Andrew Bogut to make room for Kevin Durant.

Bogut's career came full circle Wednesday, as his agent David Bauman told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the center received a letter of clearance from the National Basketball League in Australia to join the Warriors for the remainder of the season. The Warriors later announced the deal.

Bogut told the New York Times' Marc Stein he is "pumped and excited" about rejoining the Warriors and added it was "basically Golden State or nothing" as far as his NBA career is concerned.

The 34-year-old most recently played for the Sydney Kings in his native Australia. He averaged 11.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 blocks per game. 

Bogut has played in just 50 NBA games since leaving the Warriors. His brief stint in Dallas did not work out, and he was limited to 58 seconds with the Cleveland Cavaliers before breaking his leg. The Los Angeles Lakers waived Bogut last January, at which point he returned to Australia. 

"Before anyone asks, no NBA outs, no European outs," Bogut said in April. "I'm committed to being here for two years. ... It will retire me from the NBA; I'm happy to say that today."

It's unclear why Bogut had an about-face, though competing for an NBA championship likely played a major factor. Bogut's Warriors career ended in 2016 with him on the bench for Games 6 and 7 of the NBA Finals as the Cavaliers completed a historic comeback.

Bogut will now get to rewrite what will likely be the final chapter of his NBA story—all while not having much responsibility. The Warriors will play Bogut sparingly in most matchups, as they already have DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney handling most of the minutes at the 5. 

In the majority of playoff games, Bogut will probably be stapled to the bench. But it's clear the Warriors value Bogut's defense in the middle and his locker room presence.