2017 NBA free agency grades: Golden State Warriors will retain David West
The Golden State Warriors are wasting no time in 2017 NBA free agency, locking down David West for the last season of his NBA career.
The Golden State Warriors still have a potential Andre Iguodala problem, but they’ve wasted no time in 2017 NBA free agency so far.
Less than a day after agreeing to lock up a key reserve in Shaun Livingston and rewarding Stephen Curry with a well-deserved supermax, the Dubs have reportedly secured David West for the final season of his NBA career.
West, who finally got his first taste of championship glory after 14 seasons in the league, averaged 4.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in only 12.6 minutes per game last season.
According to NBA insider David Aldridge, Golden State has agreed to a one-year deal with the 36-year-old power forward. The terms of the contract have not yet been reported.
David West, per source, to re-sign for one year—will be his last—with the Warriors.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2017
Like Livingston, West’s numbers hardly leap off the page. But his ability to score down low, clean up rebounds, knock down elbow jumpers and move the ball made him an excellent addition to Golden State’s bench in his limited time on the floor.
West shot a tidy 53.6 percent from the field in his first season with the team, stepping up his efficiency to 57.6 percent shooting in the Warriors’ 17-game playoff run to the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Though there’s been no confirmation about how much West’s deal is worth, the most likely scenario for a Golden State team facing severe luxury tax penalties will be the veteran minimum, about $2.3 million.
Of note now that David West is reportedly secured: Veteran minimum for guys with 10+ years experience has spiked to $2.3 million this year.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2017
With deals for Curry and Livingston agreed upon and Kevin Durant‘s slightly-below-max deal still to come, retaining a useful and experienced bench piece like West for the veteran minimum is about as good as it gets.
This is especially true with Iguodala entertaining other offers. On Thursday, The Vertical‘s Shams Charania reported Warriors owner Joe Lacob was hesitant to dive deep into the luxury tax, which could complicate the team’s ability to re-sign Iggy to a fair deal when he’d already be taking a discount to remain with the team.
According to ESPN‘s Chris Haynes, Iguodala had meetings lined up with two other Western Conference powers in the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. He will also meet with the Sacramento Kings, who can offer him a lucrative deal more in line with his true market value if he’s willing to take a step down from playing on an elite team for a well-deserved pay raise.
As of now, the Warriors and Andre Iguodala have no meeting scheduled, sources say. Could change any minute. Sides are optimistic.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 30, 2017
Though there’s still a chance the Warriors wise up, bring Iguodala back for a nice payday and face up to a luxury tax penalty that serves as the cost for keeping an NBA dynasty intact, it’s looking less likely than it did a few weeks ago.
To that end, re-signing Livingston to a fair three-year, $24 million deal while bringing back West on a minimum contract is a great way to ensure the bench is as sturdy as possible. Iguodala is the only potential weakness in the armor of this impenetrable juggernaut.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
David West is not a game-changer anymore, but he provides some measure of frontcourt insurance with both Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee being unrestricted free agents. Assuming the Warriors are bringing West back on a minimum contract (which would only make sense), there’s not a lot to dislike here.
Grade: A