Golden State Warriors: Marc Gasol still has value in the NBA

A mission to fill the final roster spot has consumed the last few weeks of the Golden State Warriors‘ offseason. A number of different guards have trained with the squad recently in order to snag the backup position but could Marc Gasol end up being the best option for the Warriors?

It makes sense the Dubs have been pursuing a guard. After all, their biggest weakness last season was every minute Stephen Curry wasn’t on the floor. Finding a player to steer the ship during these minutes would be beneficial, clearly.

Sadly, the pool of guards remaining on the market is not too intriguing. Do Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison, Ryan Arcidiacono or Gary Payton II move the needle that much? Is it more helpful to target a player like Gasol who can have a bigger overall impact?

The Golden State Warriors want to sign one more player to round out their roster. Marc Gasol can provide enough value to justify a contract.

Gasol had an underwhelming season in Los Angeles where he was underutilized for most of the year. He was not happy to be overshadowed by Andre Drummond in the lineup and never had an opportunity to fully showcase his intelligence on defense and playmaking abilities on offense due to LeBron James and Anthony Davis missing large stretches of games.

Slotting Gasol into the Warriors’ system seems like an easy thing to do. He is reminiscent of Andrew Bogut, a lumbering center who can anchor efforts in the paint and create for others in the post.

Gasol is still a capable screener and would be fantastic at seeking out shots for Curry and Klay Thompson. I can only imagine how much fun Gasol would have as an inside-out passer for the Splash Brothers.

Obviously, Gasol is entering the final years of his career and might be more interested in ending his basketball days in Spain. Yet, the potential to win another championship could entice him to play with the Warriors.

The former Defensive Player of the Year can bring value to the Dubs as a consistent frontcourt presence. Even more, he has developed nicely into a floor-spacer as he enters the latter stages of his career. Gasol fits the Warriors’ needs and brings the best bang for their buck at this point in free agency.