With the Golden State Warriors facing some difficult decisions about how to allocate their money across a series of key free agents, one divisional rival could be poised to pounce at the opportunity to poach a key member of the playoff rotation.
After winning their fourth title in the last eight seasons, the Warriors have publicly vowed to keep as much of the current team together as possible. But with a number of their current free agents expected to command bigger salaries after proving themselves over the last season, it would likely be impossible to keep them all.
Insiders have pegged forward Otto Porter Jr. as one of the most likely players to exit, with a new report suggesting that the Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Clippers could have him in their sights.
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Porter a Good Fit in L.A.
The Athletic’s Law Murray broke down some of the “under the radar” free-agent options for the Clippers, noting that Porter moved beyond his injury troubles to turn in a strong all-around season for Golden State.
“The Porter signing worked out swimmingly for the newly crowned champion Warriors,” Murray wrote. “Porter was a backup power forward who was asked to do little offensively (seven-year low 8.2 points per game, career-low 15.0 usage rate), but the third pick of the 2013 NBA Draft out of Georgetown spaced the floor effectively (1.3 3s per game, 37.0 percent), rebounded hard (5.7 per game) and was active defensively (1.1 steals).”
Otto Porter Jr.
NBA Champion 🏆
Porter would most likely be an option for the Clippers if Nicolas Batum decides not to return next season, he added.
“But just in case things break down somewhere, or in case there’s a trade that involves Marcus Morris Sr., Porter could be a contingency option and certainly would fit the Clippers on both ends of the floor,” he noted.
Porter Wants a Return to Golden State
Porter has already made his preference clear, saying he wants to come back to the Warriors and help the team defend its NBA title.
“I do know that this team can compete again for another championship and it would be a great opportunity if I could stay here,” Porter said. “It would be amazing to be here with that group of guys again and do it all over again.”
But re-signing Porter may not be the highest priority for the Warriors, largely because he is expected to fetch a contract much higher than the one-year, $2.39 million deal the Warriors signed him to last summer. A Western Conference executive told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney that giving an extension to breakout guard Jordan Poole is the team’s top priority, and after that the focus will be on re-signing defensive-minded guard Gary Payton II.
“Mavs free agent targets” is a headline that’s actually doing big numbers on Google.
Feast away…
After proving that his injury issues are in the past and becoming a key part of the rotation during the regular season and playoffs, Porter could also be in high demand once he hits free agency. He has been named as a potential target for a number of other teams, including the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets.
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Warriors Rumors: Divisional Rival Could Poach Key Free Agent From Dubs