Here’s the Bay Area News Group reporting on the Golden State Warriors. NBA league-wide free agent negotiations begin Tuesday, July 1:
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The Warriors’ needs: a backup point guard, a backup shooting guard, reliable scoring off the bench, a penetrator, a big man who can shoot the 3-pointer, a low-post scorer and a third-string center. But when you’re on limited funds, you have to find players who knock out a few needs.
Since Festus Ezeli is expected to return and David Lee can serve as the third center, the Warriors’ greatest need is on the perimeter. Jordan Crawford and Steve Blake won’t return, leaving no backups for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Guard Rodney Stuckey, a free agent after seven seasons with Detroit, makes a lot of sense for the Warriors because he can back up Curry or Thompson. Stuckey is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, and his game is attacking the paint off the dribble. His career percentage of free-throw attempts to field-goal attempts is .381, well above Curry’s career-high of .252 last season.
Jeremy Lin, a Bay Area native and former Warrior, is an even better penetrator than is Stuckey. But Lin will count $8.4 million against the salary cap on his expiring contract — if Houston were willing to trade him. That would leave the Warriors with less than $3 million to fill out the roster.
