Potential Free Agents for the Warriors
With the NBA free agency well underway — the Warriors have made some solid moves despite some salary cap issues.
After the front office were unable to extend offers to Portland Trailblazers guard Gary Payton II and Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. — Warriors signed guard Donte Divincenzo and forward JaMychal Green as replacements.
The Warriors signed guards Quinndary Weatherspoon and Lester Quinones to two-way contracts after the Las Vegas Summer League Showcase.
The Warriors also signed guard Max McClung to a one-year deal per Shams Charania.
With the signings of the recent draft picks in forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and guard Ryan Rollins — the Warriors have just one roster spot up for grabs.
With that being said — let’s see who’s available in the market and debate whether or not they’d be a good fit for the Warriors. As a continuation of our previous article on potential free agent fits for Golden State, here is our latest list of free agents who could find themselves on the reigning champs’ roster.
DeMarcus Cousins
This might be a surprise, but with the departure of Nemanja Bjelica, the Warriors center depth is challenged with Kevon Looney as their only true center. James Wiseman has much to prove in the upcoming season — but if he’s unable to rise to the challenge, the Warriors are severely lacking in the center department.
Enter DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins — who has bounced around the league since his time with the Warriors — has proven that he can stay healthy and produce promising numbers. He split last season with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets and played 62 games. In Game Five of the first round series — Cousins scored a playoff-best 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting and went two-for-three from 3-point range, proving that he still has some left in the tank. The Warriors could use his outside shooting and his low-post presence given Looney’s lack of offensive production.
Patrick Beverly
With the departure of Payton II — the Warriors’ guard rotation has slimmed a bit — but his most valuable asset will be missed. In a guard-heavy league, players like Payton II and Patrick Beverly are highly sought after when they’re tasked with the duty of stopping some of the league’s best perimeter players.
Beverly — like Payton II — thrives on the defensive end. He’s also famous for getting under player’s skins, which would be helpful during intense situations like the playoffs. However — sometimes his emotions does get the better of him — but his value can’t be understated. Beverly is currently on the Utah Jazz — but should the Jazz release him and Beverly enters the buyout market — the Warriors could certainly use a defensive menace like Beverly.
Juancho Hernangomez
It’s not just Adam Sandler’s movie Hustle — but Juancho Hernangomez is a solid contributor and the Warriors have had an affinity for overseas bigs that can spread the floor. A seasoned veteran — Hernangomez has been a reasonable shooter throughout his career. After a couple of lackluster seasons — Hernangomez played 26 games for the Utah Jazz where he averaged 6.2 points and shot 43.8% from 3-point range.
The Warriors have always had a noticeable depth problem with the center position — but Hernangomez could potentially play the David West or Marreese Speights role as someone who can produce off the bench and contribute on the defensive end.
Regardless of whom the Warriors decide to pick up, the Warriors usually leave the last roster spot up for grabs during training camp — which starts in late September.
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