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Golden State Warriors: The team should pursue Alex Abrines

By Tony Pesta

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 20: Alex Abrines #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the game on March 20, 2017 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 20: Alex Abrines #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the game on March 20, 2017 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have bought out Alex Abrines’ contract, meaning he is available for the Golden State Warriors to pursue.

The Golden State Warriors were unsurprisingly quiet during the NBA trade deadline. There was no reason for the team to make any roster altering changes. However, they should be active in the buyout market. Now that Alex Abrines is officially available, the Warriors need to make a push for him.

Abrines is a 6’6″ shooting guard playing in his third NBA season. In his three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Abrines was a key component to the Thunders second unit. He played the role of the sixth man for a long time and showed flashes of being a reliable scorer.

For his career, Abrines is averaging 5.3 points per game in 16 minutes of playing time. He isn’t exceptionally well at anything, shooting only 38.7 percent from the field and being an average defender.

Still, his presence will be welcomed if he joined the Warriors. Abrines can offer some stability off of the bench for Golden State.

Right now, the Warriors most important bench players (For the playoffs) are Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko and Shaun Livingston. These four players are the only guys who have experience and enough talent to be worthy of playing meaningful minutes.

However, the problem emerges when you realize that Livingston is playing in his 14th season and Iguodala is in his 15th season. As players get older, their chances of being injured increase. Therefore, there is no telling if Iguodala and Livingston will be healthy in the long term.

This is why it is important to sign an extra bench player while the Dubs still have a chance. Maybe Abrines isn’t the most talented player but there won’t be many more players available soon. If the Warriors get a chance to acquire Abrines they absolutely should take it.

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