Getty Images JaMychal Green is expected to sign with the Warriors after his buyout is finalized.
The Golden State Warriors plan to add veteran forward JaMychal Green to their roster after his buyout with the Oklahoma City becomes official.
Green landed with the Thunder via a draft night trade and general manager Sam Presti was clear that hewould not be remaining in Oklahoma City. Sham Charania of The Athletic first reported the news of Green’s plans to sign with the Warriors.
Forward JaMychal Green is finalizing a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder and plans to sign with the Golden State Warriors after he clears waivers, his agent Michael Hodges told @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Last season with the Nuggets Green notched 6.4 points per game on 48 percent shooting, also collecting 4.2 rebounds in 16 minutes per game. He’s shooting 36.6% percent for his career from deep, although he’s coming off a season where he hit the 3-ball at just 26.6% — a career-low.
The Warriors lost to strong pieces of their rotation this offseason in Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr., so the addition of Green will give them another big body with the ability to stretch the floor.
Green was previously on a two-year, $16.4 million contract with the Nuggets. Considering the Warriors’ cap situation, it’s likely he’ll sign for close to the veteran’s minimum with Golden State.
Warriors Hoped to Keep Roster Together Despite Money Crunch
The Warriors are trying to work around some massive deals on the books, which include near max-contracts for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. Jordan Poole is also extension-eligible and could net a hefty sum as well as the Warriors hope to avoid the risk of losing him as a restricted free agent next offseason.
The Warriors were hoping to keep the majority of their title-winning roster together but have already seen Porter, Bjelica, Gary Payton II, Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson move on.
Facing another hefty bill for being a repeat luxury tax offender has put the Warriors in a bit of a bind when it comes to building out their roster.
“The truth is, we’re only $40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that’s not small but it’s not a massive number. We’re $200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax,” Warriors CEO Joe Lacob said on the “Point Forward” podcast. “And what I consider to be unfair and I’m going to say it on this podcast and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening … and obviously it’s self-serving for me to say this, but I think it’s a very unfair system because our team is built by — all top eight players are all drafted by this team.”
That being said, being able to lure veterans like JaMychal Green with the potential to win a title is a plus for Golden State as they continue to construct what they hope will be a roster capable of defending the title.
Warriors Still Awaiting Decision From Andre Iguodala
The Warriors are still hanging on to a roster spot for Andre Iguodala, who has made it unclear if he’ll return or retire.
“The Warriors have imposed no firm deadline on an Andre Iguodala retirement-or-return decision,” Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported. “If he opts to play another season, a roster spot will be awaiting him. It’d be easier for the Warriors to piece together their full roster plans if they already knew either way on Iguodala, but this isn’t a decision (or a person) the Warriors can push on a particular timeline.”
Iguodala played in 31 regular season games last season, averaging 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. The 38-year-old former Finals MVP has been clear that he’s taking his time making his decision.
“I like basketball,” Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area, “I actually like training, too. Summer training is probably the hardest thing. People don’t understand that to really get ready for a season what your body has to go through.
“I’m trying to reflect on the season, enjoy it, enjoy being a champion. And if that time comes — I don’t know if it’s going to be a tough decision, but I’m ready for whatever.”
While Iguodala may not be making the impact on the court he once did, the Warriors clearly value him as a key presence in the locker room.