Getty Kyle Anderson and Jonas Valanciunas of the Memphis Grizzlies battle for a rebound during a bout with the Chicago Bulls.
Regardless of what one thinks of the Golden State Warriors‘ dual-timeline approach to roster construction, an indisputable fact has emerged about the team as constituted. It’s a group with the depth, experience and star power requisite for making a run at an NBA championship.
So, when the subject of Golden State’s offseason plans is broached, it’s typically in reference to the team finding some way to keep the current crew together amid a ridiculous (and unprecedented) luxury tax situation.
In a piece aiming to identify the one player every team “needs to chase” this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes was tempted to cop out on the Warriors for this very reason. “The real answer here should be ‘all of their own free agents’,” he wrote.
However, in the spirit of the exercise, the hoops scribe scoured the league and ultimately landed on one of the game’s ultimate utility players as a worthy target.
B/R: Warriors Could Target Kyle Anderson
As Hughes sees it, Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson’s multi-faceted skill set and relatively meager salary requirements make him an ideal target for the Dubs. He writes:
Enter Kyle Anderson, a savvy veteran forward who can do a little bit of everything—except run fast or jump high. With the tax-bound Dubs likely to lose many of the minimum-salaried contributors they inked last offseason, Anderson would work well as a stopgap in several regards.
The 28-year-old, who can play the three, the four and has even spent time in the pivot, took a slight step backward for Memphis this season. Nevertheless, he continues to play a key role off the bench for the club that finished the regular season with the second-best record in the Association.
In 69 appearances with the Grizz in 2021-22, Anderson averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He also connected on 44.6% of his shot attempts and 33% from deep.
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The Grizz May Soon Be Facing Cap Issues of Their Own
Right now, the Grizz are running lean and mean with the 29th-highest payroll in the league. That’s destined to change over the next couple years, though. For his part, Ja Morant is a no-brainer to get maxed out when the time comes. Meanwhile, Dillon Brooks figures to be receiving a massive pay raise when he gets his next deal.
Then there’s Desmond Bane to consider down the line.
As such, the club will likely find itself having to make some difficult decisions from a payroll/personnel standpoint. Whether or not Anderson will be a casualty of such a process remains to be seen. In any case, the veteran forward is probably a player worth monitoring for Golden State.
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