Golden State Warriors: 5 potential free agency targets in 2018
1. Tyreke Evans and the MLE wing market
I’ll get this out of the way: Trevor Ariza is the dream here. Landing him would not be impossible, but it would be the result of a highly unlikely chain of events. Houston would have to land LeBron James, ask Ariza to take a massive paycut (relative to the eight figures he is almost certain to get on the open market), and upset him in the process.
Given the slim chances of this occurring, Ariza should not be Golden State’s No. 1 focus. Rather, the team should hone in on a crop of just slightly-worse options that are far more likely to in fact be options.
Tyreke Evans would also have to take less, but how much less is unclear. He could certainly get the full MLE elsewhere and possibly more, but not from a team with title hopes. If those are aspirations he shares, then the Warriors make sense. His improved 3-point stroke combined with his ability to drive, get to the line and create for teammates makes him Quinn Cook and Iguodala rolled into one player offensively.
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Avery Bradley is nowhere close to the creator Evans is, but he’s a more reliable outside shooter and a smothering backcourt defender. The reprieve he could give Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry on that end would be the perfect antidote to the grueling nature of a fifth straight Finals run.
Both are highly injury-prone, but rest and limited minutes during the regular season would mitigate that risk.
If the Warriors value defense and durability over shooting, Luc Mbah a Moute should be their target. While not a picture of health, he has a better track record than Evans or Bradley. He’s also shot the 3 almost as well as either over the last two years (37.5 percent for Mbah a Moute, compared to 38.6 percent for Evans and 38.1 percent for Bradley), albeit on far lower volume.
After that, the options plummet. There are some quality shooters (Joe Harris, Wayne Ellington, Darius Miller), but no one who has enough defensive chops to push their way into closing lineups should Iguodala and Livingston continue to decline.
And yet, these guys are significantly better than the minimum options discussed earlier. That’s why, unless O’Quinn is available, Golden State would be wise to use its MLE on a wing.
Next: Kevin Durant: 5 FA destinations more fun than the Warriors
Salary cap data courtesy of Spotrac and HoopsHype. Stats courtesy of Cleaning The Class and Basketball Reference.