Golden State Warriors Blog – Page 28 – NBA Blog

Warriors re-sign Ian Clark

The Golden State Warriors have re-signed free agent guard Ian Clark.

Clark, 25, appeared in 66 regular-season games with the Warriors last season (one start), averaging 3.6 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist in 8.8 minutes per contest. In 16 postseason games, the 6-3 guard averaged 4.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 9.6 minutes.

A three-year NBA veteran, Clark owns career averages of 3.0 points and 7.9 minutes in 119 regular-season games with the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors.

Warriors officially sign Kevin Durant

Team that won 73 games last regular season just added a superstar

The Golden State Warriors officially signed free agent forward Kevin Durant today. The deal is reportedly a $54 million dollar contract over two years.

A six-time All-NBA Selection (five First Team, one Second Team) and four-time single-season scoring leader, Durant was named the league MVP in 2013-14, tallying a career-best and league-leading 32.0 points per game.

Durant, 27, posted averages of 28.2 points, a career-high 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.18 blocks and 35.8 minutes in 72 games in 2015-16, earning his seventh consecutive NBA All-Star nod and becoming the first player to average at least 28 points, eight boards and five assists since Michael Jordan in 1988-89. The 6-9 forward led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, falling to the Warriors in a hard-fought, seven-game series. Durant led all scorers in the postseason with 28.4 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 40.3 minutes over 18 games.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Durant owns averages of 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.21 steals, 1.00 blocks and 37.8 minutes in 641 games (all starts) with the Thunder. Durant ranks as the Thunder franchise’s all-time leader in free throws (4,599) and three-point field goals (1,143) while ranking second in scoring (17,566), third in field goals made (5,912), fourth in rebounds (4,518), fourth in blocks (639), fourth in minutes (24,208), sixth in games played (641), seventh in assists (2,363) and eighth in steals (774).

The Washington, D.C., native has shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last four seasons and owns career percentages of 48.3 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free throw line. In 2012-13, Durant became the sixth player in NBA history to qualify for the league minimums in the 50/40/90 club (hit at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the line), a group that was joined by Stephen Curry in 2015-16.

Originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant captured Rookie of the Year honors in Seattle in 2007-08 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. In his lone collegiate season at the University of Texas in 2006-07, Durant was named the National Player of the Year and earned the Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award and Wooden Award, becoming the first-ever freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards.

Durant will wear #35 for the Warriors.

Mavericks sign Harrison Barnes to offer sheet

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward Harrison Barnes to an offer sheet. Golden State has declined its right of first refusal to match the offer sheet.

The deal is reportedly for 4 years, $94 million.

Barnes (6-8, 225) played his first four NBA seasons with the Golden State Warriors (2012-16) and was a restricted free agent with the club. He holds career averages of 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 28.1 minutes in 307 games (246 starts) while shooting 44.6 percent (295-of-633) from the field, 37.6 percent (287-of-764) from 3-point range and 73.9 percent (484-of-655) from the line. He was a member of the Warriors’ 2015 NBA championship team.

The Warriors selected Barnes with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. As a rookie in 2012-13, he appeared in 81 games (all starts) and averaged 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds en route to earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

In 2014-15, Barnes started all 82 regular-season games for the eventual NBA champion Warriors. He averaged 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds while posting career highs in field goal percentage (.482) and 3-point field goal percentage (.405). The following season (2015-16), Barnes averaged 11.7 and 4.9 rebounds while helping the Warriors win an NBA-record 73 games.

Barnes increased his scoring average in each of his first four seasons. After drafting Barnes in 2012, Golden State went on to reach the playoffs in each of the next four years. What’s more, when Barnes helped the Warriors reach the playoffs as a rookie in 2012-13, it was just their second playoff appearance in the last 19 years and their first since 2006-07.

The Ames, Iowa, native played two seasons at the University of North Carolina, earning First Team All-ACC honors as a sophomore in 2011-12. He declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season.

Warriors trade Andrew Bogut to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired center Andrew Bogut along with a future second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for a future conditional second-round pick.

“Andrew played a vital role in our success as a team the last several seasons,” said Warriors General Manager Bob Myers. “His unique skill set on both ends of the floor enabled our team — and his teammates in particular — to thrive. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best of luck in Dallas.”

According to the Dallas Morning News, “the Mavericks had enough cap space to absorb Bogut’s $11 million salary. He will be a free agent next summer, meaning he won’t clog up cap room. To facilitate the arrival of star free agent Kevin Durant, the Warriors had to shed Bogut’s contract. Durant announced early Monday that he was bolting from Oklahoma City to sign a two-year, $54 million deal with the Warriors.”

Bogut (7-0, 260) is an 11-year veteran with career averages of 10.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 29.4 minutes per game in 644 games (630 starts) with Milwaukee and Golden State. He earned All-NBA Third Team honors with the Bucks in 2009-10 and was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team with the Warriors in 2014-15. He was also a member of the Warriors’ 2015 NBA championship team.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Bogut was selected by Milwaukee with the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He became the first Australian ever taken with the top pick. Bogut appeared in all 82 games for the Bucks in 2005-06, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors after finishing the season with averages of 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. He averaged a double-double in three consecutive seasons with Milwaukee from 2008-11. In 2009-10, Bogut averaged a career-high 15.9 points to go along with 10.2 rebounds per game en route to being named All-NBA Third Team.

Bogut was traded along with Stephen Jackson to the Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis, Kwame Brown and Ekpe Udoh on March 13, 2012. He made his debut with the team the following season (2012-13), and the Warriors went on to reach the postseason in each of the next four years (2013-16). After winning a title with Golden State in 2014-15, Bogut helped the Warriors win an NBA-record 73 games in 2015-16 and reach the Finals for the second straight year. Bogut suffered a left knee injury in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals and was forced to miss the remainder of the series.

Bogut played collegiately at Utah, where he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year and won the John R. Wooden Award as a sophomore in 2004-05. The 7-footer declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season.

Warriors hire Mike Brown as assistant coach

The Golden State Warriors have named Mike Brown an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, the team announced today. Brown, who was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2008-09, replaces Luke Walton on the team’s coaching staff.

“We’re fortunate to add someone with the pedigree and track record of Mike Brown to our coaching staff,” said Kerr. “I had the good opportunity to play under him and Coach Popovich in San Antonio at the end of my career. The wealth of knowledge and experience that he brings will be invaluable to our staff and our players. He’s a terrific fit and we’re thrilled to have him.”

Brown, 46, joins the Warriors after previously holding head coaching duties with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12). He owns a career record of 347-216 (.616) over eight seasons, which ranks as the 10th best winning percentage in NBA history among coaches who have registered at least 500 games at the helm. In his first stint with Cleveland, Brown led the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2008-09 after guiding the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66 wins. Cleveland won at least 50 games in four of Brown’s first five seasons with the club, including back-to-back 60-win campaigns in 2008-09 and 2009-10 (61).

Following a five-year run with the Cavs, Brown spent the 2010-11 season as an analyst for ESPN before returning to the bench as head coach of the Lakers in 2011-12, leading the club to a Pacific Division title and a 41-25 (.621) record during the lockout shortened season. Brown returned as head coach of the Cavaliers for the 2013-14 season, where he eclipsed Lenny Wilkins’ mark for most combined regular season and playoff victories in the franchise’s history (347). As a head coach, Brown’s teams qualified for the playoffs in six of his seven full seasons, advancing past the First Round in each appearance.

Warriors sign rookie Patrick McCaw

The Golden State Warriors have signed guard Patrick McCaw to a contract, the team announced today.

McCaw, 20, was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 38th overall selection in last month’s NBA Draft and was acquired by the Warriors that same night (June 23) in exchange for cash consideration. In two seasons at UNLV, he averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.98 steals and 31.7 minutes in 65 games, garnering Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a sophomore this past season. The 6’7” guard was also named to the Mountain West All-Defensive Team in his sophomore season, averaging 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.45 steals (second in the nation) and 33.7 minutes in 33 games.

Mavs will likely land Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut

The Warriors are going to sign Kevin Durant. That’s the biggest news of the summer, and it’ll remain that way, unless LeBron James decides to leave the Cavs. Which is definitely not likely. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

The Dallas Mavericks will be adding a pair of Golden State Warriors — forward Harrison Barnes and center Andrew Bogut — in the wake of Kevin Durant’s decision, according to league sources.

The Warriors and Mavs have agreed to a trade that will send Bogut into Dallas’ cap space, according to league sources. The Mavs also reached a verbal agreement on a four-year, $94 million maximum deal with Barnes.

Sources told ESPN that the Warriors will renounce their rights to Barnes as a restricted free agent with Durant heading to Golden State, meaning there will be no three-day waiting period while his previous team ponders whether to match the offer.

Warriors extend qualifying offers to Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli

Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli are now restricted free agents

The Golden State Warriors have extended qualifying offers to forward Harrison Barnes and center Festus Ezeli, the team announced today.

By extending a qualifying offer prior to the June 30 deadline, Barnes and Ezeli will become restricted free agents and Golden State owns the right to match any offer sheet they may sign with another team. The Warriors did not extend qualifying offers to guard Ian Clark and forward James Michael McAdoo, who will become unrestricted free agents.

Barnes, 24, appeared in 66 games (59 starts) in 2015-16 and averaged a career-best 11.7 points to go with 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.9 minutes. The fourth-year forward, who was selected seventh overall by Golden State in the 2012 NBA Draft, tallied a single-season career-best six games with at least 20 points during the Warriors’ 73-win campaign.

Ezeli, 26, appeared in 46 games (13 starts) in 2015-16 and set career-highs of 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 16.7 minutes. The fourth-year center, who was selected 30th overall by Golden State in the 2012 NBA Draft, scored in double figures 13 times and recorded six double-doubles during the 2015-16 regular season, both single-season career-bests.

Definition of Warriors season

The NBA playoffs are down to one game. NBA Finals Game 7 is Sunday night at Golden State. And for some key Warriors players, a Game 7 loss would define the entire season as a failure. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:

After nearly nine months reaping the benefits of unity, being of one mindset, the Warriors are, in at least one regard, splintering as they approach Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

A loss would slap the term “failure” on this season, say guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

“Yeah, pretty much, because that was our goal from the beginning,” Curry said Saturday, on the eve of Game 7, echoing comments Thompson made two days earlier.

A loss would not define the season as a failure, says coach Steve Kerr, who took mild umbrage that someone would frame such a question.

Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr fined by NBA

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr have each been fined $25,000 for separate incidents, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Curry has been fined $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece into the spectator stands.

Curry, occurred with 4:22 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 115-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 6 of The Finals on June 16 at Quicken Loans Arena.

Kerr has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating during his press conference following the same game.