The Golden State Warriors have had a busy start to the summer. Shortly after hoisting a championship trophy at their parade, the Dubs quickly transitioned to offseason mode, losing two key free agents and signing two others.
The free agency period opened up with two massive blows to the existing core. Both Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. leveraged their excellent seasons to command more money on the market. For the Dubs, the price got too high.
It hasn’t been all bad, though.
Golden State retained Kevon Looney, the undersized big man who carried their frontcourt through so much last season. And, they added a 6’4″ two-way wing in Donte DiVincenzo to blunt the blow of losing Payton and Porter.
The Golden State Warriors should look into signing Hassan Whiteside, the seven-foot rim protector, to round out their roster this offseason.
This time around, the Dubs will not have to worry as much about their depth at center. Looney will hopefully be backed and eventually surpassed by the developing James Wiseman.
Even so, there is something to be gained by having Hassan Whiteside on the bench, just in case.
Wiseman’s recovery has been sketchy and his time on the court has not added up to much, yet. While the young center navigates the first true season of his career, it could help to have a veteran ready to play minutes throughout the year.
What’s more, the Dubs have lost a little bit of their small-ball rotation. Juan Toscano-Anderson is gone, as well as Porter and likely Nemanja Bejlica. This limits their ability to play without Looney or Wiseman, again making Whiteside a worthy target.
Whiteside averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season in Utah. He has always been a beast in the paint, though rather inconsistent in his effort and productivity.
In bursts, Whiteside could be exactly what the Warriors need from a backup big.