Golden State Warriors: 5 Centers They Could Pursue With MLE

1. Samuel Dalembert

February 5, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert (21) during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Samuel Dalembert’s not a young buck anymore (see what I did there?  Yeah, yeah, terrible I know). He’s got 10 years of experience in the league and has been a pretty consistent member of all the teams he’s played for so far. Thus, he is a more than serviceable NBA center.

Last year, he made $6.7 million, a bit more than the Warriors’ $5 million MLE allows. However, he might dip to the right price range given that his stats haven’t been the greatest (he averaged 6.7 points per game, 1.1 blocks per game, and 5.9 rebounds per game this past season). Add that to the fact that his rebounds took a slight dip from seven the year before, and he just might be affordable.

One issue is that he has had some problems with injury as well, and he doesn’t score inside as well as the Warriors might want from someone down low, especially since he might fall into the role of replacing Carl Landry if he leaves. However, for the right price, he could end up being a high-end value pickup for Golden State.