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As free agency continues, the Golden State Warriors have been trying to improve their roster by all means necessary. Just like most of the other NBA teams, the Warriors have lost, added, and resigned players in their quest to repeat as champions. Here is a comprehensive update on all the Warriors' free agency moves so far.
Additions
On the third day of free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the Warriors are signing Donte Divincenzo to a two-year contract worth 9.3 million dollars. It was later announced that the second year of the contract was a player option, meaning that Divincenzo can decide if he wants to return to the Warriors or become an unrestricted free agent after his first year with the team. Previously, Divincenzo played for the Sacramento Kings, and before that, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Last season, he averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 34% from three. Those numbers do not seem all that appealing, but it is important to consider that he had ankle surgery that season, and it was widely known that he did not want to play for the Kings at all as he was frustrated by how he was utilized. The Warriors essentially used their Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception on Divincenzo, and to be honest, he seems like a great fit with the Warriors. He is pretty athletic, as he had the highest vertical leap in the 2018 NBA Combine, and he has been a plus defender for his entire career. He has also shot the ball pretty well for most of his career. With this signing, the Warriors added another quality 3-D wing to their roster.
Resignings
Thank goodness, the Warriors were able to resign Kevon Looney. Looney has been the Warriors' most consistent player, playing all 104 games in the 2021-2022 season. Losing him would have been a huge loss to the Warriors' already-thin front court rotation. Looney is always in the right spot at the right time, is a menace on the offensive and defensive boards, plays good defense on both guards and bigs, and can serve as a fantastic mentor to the Warriors' big man of the future, James Wiseman. He is certainly valued by the Warriors, which is why the Warriors and Looney agreed on 3-year contract worth 25.5 million dollars, despite the fact that the Warriors have by-far the highest payroll in the NBA.
Losses
Unfortunately, the Warriors lost multiple key players during the free agency period. The first free agent the Warriors lost was Juan Toscano-Anderson. Juan signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a 1 year deal worth 1.9 million dollars. With this signing, the Lakers got someone who always gives maximum effort, plays tenacious defense, lets the offense flow. The Warriors also lost Gary Payton II, as he signed a 3-year, 28 million dollar deal with the Portland Trailblazers after having a breakout season with the Warriors. The Warriors were certainly disgruntled that they lost GP2 to a West-coast rival, as he offers fantastic perimeter defense, superb athleticism, and great energy. He played an integral role in the Warriors' championship run, and it is certainly sad for Warriors' fans all over the world that they lost the Young Glove. Along with losing GP2 and JTA, the Warriors lost another key member of their championship run: Otto Porter Jr. He signed a 2 year deal worth 12.4 million dollars with the Toronto Raptors, and like Divincenzo's contract, the second year of the contract is a player option. Otto offers great size and length, shooting, and defense. The Warriors also lost Damion Lee to the Suns, as he signed a veteran's minimum contract with them, and the Warriors also lost Nemanja Bjelica to an international team in Turkey called Fenerbache, and his contract is a 2-year deal worth 4 million dollars. Though it is sad that the Warriors lost this many free agents this offseason, it feels good to know that the Warriors helped revitalize many careers. With all these departures, one thing is clear: the Warriors are officially heading towards a youth movement led by Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody.
