The Warriors will be looking to improve their depth at the wing position this offseason, and Luc Mbah a Moute could help address that need.
Outside of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala, the Warriors don’t have any proven wings on their roster heading into next season.
That wing depth could get even worse if Patrick McCaw decides to leave as a restricted free agent this offseason.
The Warriors don’t have a lot of resources to get deals done with free agents considering they will likely have the largest payroll in the league again in 2018-19.
However, they can still sign free agents to minimum contracts like the Rockets did when they brought in Luc Mbah a Moute last offseason.
Mbah a Moute had a good relationship with Chris Paul and he wanted to play for a contender, which allowed Houston to get him on a below market deal as a free agent.
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The Warriors would be smart to contact Mbah a Moute this offseason inquiring whether he would want to come to Golden State to win his first championship ring next year.
The Warriors would like to sign him to the same minimum contract the Rockets did last offseason, but they are able to spend up to $5.3 million per year if necessary.
Mbah a Moute’s value is primarily found on the defensive end as he ranked 15th among NBA power forwards in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus metric last season. However, he also had a solid offensive season with the Rockets hitting 36.4% of his three-pointers on 2.8 attempts per game last year.
Mbah a Moute had a rough postseason, but he was playing through a shoulder injury that affected his play.
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Mbah a Moute would be a perfect fit in Golden State if they can convince him to sign for the minimum. I’d even consider handing him the mid-level exception to acquire his skill set on both ends of the floor.
Here are our profiles of some other potential free agents the Warriors could target: