Warriors Rumors: Marcin Gortat Interested in GSW After Being Waived by Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are waiving veteran center Marcin Gortat, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported Gortat is interested in signing with the Golden State Warriors but that the Warriors "plan to wait until the dust settles to get a clearer picture of what is available on the market."
Gortat averaged 5.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 47 games for the Clippers this year. He saw his role diminish significantly, with his 16.0 minutes per game being his fewest since 2009-10.
The 34-year-old tweeted about his brief time in Los Angeles:
The Warriors are the heavy favorites to win a third straight NBA championship, so the allure of going to the Bay Area is obvious. The Mercury News' Dieter Kurtenbach wondered whether the interest will be mutual:
Golden State might have had a reason to pursue Gortat if DeMarcus Cousins was struggling following his return to the court. Instead, Cousins is averaging 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 21.9 minutes. He's also shooting 35.0 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Signing another offensive-minded center—especially one as old as Gortat—doesn't make a ton of sense. According to NBA.com, Gortat has a career-worst 111.4 defensive rating in 2018-19. Opposing teams wouldn't have much trouble exposing his defensive frailties in the playoffs.
If the Warriors want to strengthen their frontcourt for the stretch run, they'll likely be able to find better options on the buyout market.
