Zaza Pachulia to Warriors: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
Big man Zaza Pachulia developed into a double-double threat for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2015-16 season, just in time for free agency.
As a result, the Golden State Warriors rewarded him with a one-year deal worth $2.9 million Monday, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Sam Amick of USA Today also reported the terms of the agreement.
The Mavericks acquired Pachulia in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks last summer after they failed to sign Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. Pachulia was a critical factor down low and likely bolstered his stock as Dallas earned a playoff bid, though he did lose some minutes to David Lee and Salah Mejri near the end of the campaign.
It may be surprising that Pachulia decided to sign elsewhere, considering his comments about the Mavericks organization in April, per Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
"Whoever will come here and play for this team and this organization would love it," he said. "Very few percentage of the players—very few—wouldn’t like it. The city, the fans, the organization, the personality and the heart. This team is all about winning. So if you are a winner definitely this is the place to be."
He also thanked the Dallas fans in an Instagram post after the Mavericks lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
The 2003 second-round pick has also played for the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks (in two separate stints) and Atlanta Hawks during his career and has always been a solid scoring option, finishing in double figures for the Hawks in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
He was close to automatic near the basket last season, as the 6’11” big man hit 70.9 percent of his shots from inside 10 feet, per NBA.com. Pachulia is also reliable on the free-throw line for a big guy, with 11 different seasons at 70 percent or better.
He became a force on the glass with a career-high 9.4 rebounds per game in 2015-16 and finished 23rd in the league with 26 double-doubles:
| 2003-04 | Orlando Magic | 3.3 | 2.9 | 38.9 |
| 2004-05 | Milwaukee Bucks | 6.2 | 5.1 | 45.2 |
| 2005-06 | Atlanta Hawks | 11.7 | 7.9 | 45.1 |
| 2006-07 | Atlanta Hawks | 12.2 | 6.9 | 47.4 |
| 2007-08 | Atlanta Hawks | 5.2 | 4 | 43.7 |
| 2008-09 | Atlanta Hawks | 6.2 | 5.7 | 49.7 |
| 2009-10 | Atlanta Hawks | 4.3 | 3.8 | 48.8 |
| 2010-11 | Atlanta Hawks | 4.4 | 4.2 | 46.1 |
| 2011-12 | Atlanta Hawks | 7.8 | 7.9 | 49.9 |
| 2012-13 | Atlanta Hawks | 5.9 | 6.5 | 47.3 |
| 2013-14 | Milwaukee Bucks | 7.7 | 6.3 | 42.7 |
| 2014-15 | Milwaukee Bucks | 8.3 | 6.8 | 45.4 |
| 2015-16 | Dallas Mavericks | 8.6 | 9.4 | 46.6 |
The fact that the 32-year-old finished with arguably the best overall performance of his 13-year career last season is encouraging for the Warriors. He is no longer a young playmaker, but his shooting prowess from inside and his ability to control the glass will make him a valuable contributor as Golden State looks to reach the NBA Finals for the third year in a row.
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