From a run, to a walk, to a standstill. That’s how NBA free agency has played out over the last five weeks as activity across the league comes to practically a halt. It’s now a wait-and-see game for a number of teams, including the Golden State Warriors who remain with two open roster spots.
There’s still some worthy talent that remains available in the free agent market, particularly among the frontcourt where a couple of players have been surprisingly left without deals.
The Golden State Warriors may still look to add forward depth with one of their vacant roster spots or two-way contracts.
Golden State solidified their frontcourt by re-signing starting power-forward and future hall-of-famer Draymond Green to a four-year, $100 million contract to kick off free agency. They also signed Dario Saric a week later, with the offensively versatile Croatian sure to play minutes at the four and the five for Steve Kerr next season.
Beyond that the Warriors could probably do with some insurance at both forward positions, although not with the same priority as finding a genuine backup center for starting big man Kevon Looney.
It is a difficult needle for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warrior front office to thread – while they don’t want to leave themselves short, both literally and figuratively, they’re also well aware of opening up opportunity for third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga presents as the wildcard to Golden State’s season – someone who’s talent and potential impact could demand in excess of 25 minutes per game, or who’s inexperience and fit issues could see him depart the franchise within 12 months. If that latter were to occur or inevitable injuries happen, there’s little behind Kuminga in terms of forwards with size and athleticism.
The Warriors have seemingly turned their back on a few of their own forwards from last season — JaMychal Green and Anthony Lamb remain as unrestricted free agents, while Andre Iguodala is still expected to retire despite no formal indication.
Let’s have a look at the three best forwards left on the free agent market:
3. Justise Winslow
The major hype early in Justise Winslow’s career has never really materialized — the Boston Celtics reportedly offered six picks, including four first-rounders to try and acquire Winslow before the Miami Heat took him with the 10th pick in 2015. Now eight years into his career, the 27-year-old faces a pivotal juncture in a career plagued by injury and one that’s never quite got going as a result.
At his best Winslow has been compared to a lesser version of Draymond Green — a versatile 6’8″ defender who provides point-forward skills on offense with an unreliable perimeter shot. The issue is that he’s never found the system to fit into as seemlessly as Green has in his 11-year career with the Warriors.
Winslow’s best year came in his fourth season where he started 52 games and averaged 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Since then he’s made brief stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and most recently the Portland Trail Blazers. The former Duke product appeared in just 29 games last season (none after Christmas), averaging 6.8 points, five rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.
Talent-wise Winslow deserves another opportunity and is one of the best remaining free agent forwards. However, time is running out for him to make a considerable impact on a playoff-worthy team. Although the Warriors may be able to acquire Winslow on a minimum deal, his shooting issues mean he’s probably not a fit alongside the likes of Kuminga and Gary Payton II.
2. P.J. Washington
P.J. Washington continues to be one of the most peculiar cases of free agency, but there’s little doubt that he’s one of, if not the most talented player left on the market. The 6’7″ forward has averaged nearly 13 points per game in his first four seasons, starting the majority of his career games albeit within a poor Charlotte Hornets team.
Washington’s future is now up in the air, a strange set of circumstances for someone who averaged nearly 16 points and five rebounds per game last season. The 24-year-old undoubtedly wants a pay day, but that hasn’t been forthcoming from the Hornets or another team in the way of an offer sheet.
The Hornets originally drafted Washington with the 12th overall pick in 2019, and this isn’t the first time his career at the franchise has been under question given they failed to agree to a rookie extension last offseason.
Charlotte chose to keep Washington past February’s trade deadline, but only after speculation that included ESPN proposing he be moved to the Warriors as part of a package for James Wiseman and Moses Moody.
So, what’s the latest? If this continues to drag on, Washington may be forced into accepting the Hornets’ qualifying offer and would therefore become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Alternatively, Charlotte and a rival team could organize a sign-and-trade for the talented power-forward.
The Warriors won’t be getting their hands on Washington but it will still be interesting to see where he ends up. Golden State fans should be hoping he remains in Charlotte rather than moving to a contender or rival in the Western Conference.
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
Golden State are no strangers to Kelly Oubre Jr., but even for those who despised his lone season with the franchise, it’s surprising to see him remain a free agent for this long into the offseason.
Whatever you want to say about Oubre’s weaknesses, he’s probably the most talented forward available on the market. This is a player who averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game last season.
Oubre’s impact on winning continues to be a question mark and it may now be catching up with him this offseason. The 27-year-old hasn’t been a part of a playoff team in the last five years, and Warrior fans will remember well that the team’s bright run to end the 2020-21 regular season came with Oubre injured on the sidelines.
The former lottery pick was traded to Golden State in November 2020, playing 55 games for the franchise which included 50 starts as Klay Thompson recovered from a torn achilles. While Oubre had stretches of impressive production, he was ultimately a poor fit and departed for Charlotte on a two-year, $24.6 million deal in the 2021 offseason.
Could the Warriors reunite with Oubre in the coming weeks/months? It’s incredibly unlikely. He’ll assuredly want more than the minimum contract Golden State can offer, although the further it goes the more Oubre may need to accept such a deal. Regardless, everything the franchise has done this offseason suggests they’re done with the low IQ, ball-stopping scorers who struggle to fit Steve Kerr’s system.