The NBA offseason is officially underway and the Golden State Warriors‘ two biggest dominos have already fallen.
First, the team found its new decision-maker, replacing outgoing president/GM Bob Myers with former baller Mike Dunleavy Jr. Then, during the opening moments of free agency on June 30, four-time All-Star and franchise mainstay Draymond Green agreed to a four-year, $100 million pact to remain with the Warriors.
Beyond that, though, it has been a big nothing-burger for the Bay Area crew where closing deals is concerned. As of this writing, no new players have been added to the roster, while incumbents Donte DiVincenzo and Ty Jerome have secured contracts with rival squads.
That’s not to say that the Dubs don’t have irons in the fire, though. According to a Sunday report, the team currently has its sights set on a 26-year-old former first-round pick with a propensity for launching three-point bombs.
Warriors Said to Have Interest in G/F Malik Beasley
Per a report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Warriors are one of a gaggle of teams eyeing Los Angeles Lakers free agent guard Malik Beasley. Wrote the league insider:
Beasley has drawn interest from the Sixers, Suns, Raptors, Mavericks, Bucks, and Warriors, league sources told HoopsHype. Beasley led the NBA in three-pointers made off the bench last season and is a career 37.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Splitting his time between the Lake Show and the Utah Jazz last season, Beasley averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists across a combined 81 appearances. He also connected on 35.7% of his 8.1 three-point attempts per contest.
Although there’s still a chance that he could return to the Lakers on a smaller contract, the offensive gravity Beasley brings to the table, the desire he likely has to make the most of those talents in a featured role and the sheer number of suitors he has may see him signing elsewhere.
After averaging 25.8 minutes per game with the Jazz and Lakers during the regular season, Beasley saw just 8.3 MPG of run during the playoffs. He’ll almost certainly have a better opportunity to play with a new team given the Lakers’ roster moves so far (even with Lonnie Walker IV heading to Brooklyn).
Meanwhile, Beasley’s bucket-getting prowess would be a major asset on the Warriors’ bench with Jordan Poole now DC-bound.
Dubs Given High Marks for Draymond Deal
The folks over at Bleacher Report have been weighing in on each and every free-agent move to occur since June 30, including Golden State’s early re-upping with Green. The outlet gave Dunleavy and Co. relatively high marks for the signing, too, stamping the deal with a B+ grade and writing:
Green playing in a different jersey and alongside anyone other than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson would’ve given huge “Patrick Ewing in an Orlando Magic jersey” vibes, and those three proved able to win it all as recently as 2022.
They deserve one last run together.
The only possible drawback, and the one that takes this grade down just a notch, is the potential for a dropoff by the end of the deal, when Draymond will be 36 years old.
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Warriors Among Teams Linked to 3-Point Sniper: Report