The Golden State Warriors have reached an agreement on a one-year, $1.55 million contract with free agent forward David West, according to NBA.com’s David Aldridge. West was reported to have interest in signing with the Warriors this time last year after opting out of the final season of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, but decided to join the San Antonio Spurs.
This is the second straight summer where West has elected to take the veteran minimum in order to compete for a championship. Clearly, after adding Kevin Durant in free agency, Golden State is the team best positioned to win a title next season.
West is not joining the Warriors to simply sit on the bench while their four All-Stars win him a ring. To make room for Durant, they had to trade Andrew Bogut and renounce their rights to Festus Ezeli. It is possible that Marreese Speights, Anderson Varejao and James Michael McAdoo will all be gone, too. On Monday, Golden State reached an agreement to sign Zaza Pachulia, who will likely start at center, but will be frontcourt minutes available for West in the second unit.
Next month, West will turn 36 years old, so it’s understandable that he’s not the player he once was. In this system, though, he’ll find open jumpers the same way that Speights did. He’s not necessarily an ideal fit because he doesn’t have 3-point range, but his ability to shoot from midrange, basketball IQ and leadership make him a sensible signing at this price. He’ll be a great addition to the locker room, and it will not be surprising if he wound up in the Warriors’ front office when he retires.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
