After acquiring Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster trade last week, the Golden State Warriors roster all of a sudden has some openings with decisions to make over the next week or so.
The Warriors would be wise to fill these spots with some veteran talent to prepare for their playoff push, with the franchise currently sitting at 27-27 and 10th in the Western Conference standings.
3 Free agents the Warriors should consider
Golden State basically replaced Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroeder, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters III with Butler, leaving some gaps to fill despite the 6x All-Star's positive start with the franchise. Let’s take a look at the three possible Warriors free agent targets:
1. Bones Hyland
Put simply, Bones Hyland isn't a Steve Kerr type of player. He is a ball-dominant guard who loves to chuck up shots and do his own thing. That being said, Hyland has already proven in his short career that he can do one thing well, get buckets.
With Schroder out the door, the Warriors could definitely use some scoring off the bench. Hyland could be worth taking a look at as he averaged 7.2 points and shot 38.8% from three in just 11.1 minutes per game with the Clippers this season.
2. Mo Bamba
The Warriors have needed more size this season, and every team can use a shooter. Right now Quinten Post is showing exactly how valuable a stretch five can be for the Warriors, and Mo Bamba brings a similar skill set to the table.
Bamba however is a stronger defender and has a few more years of NBA experience under his belt. His shooting numbers have been down this season at only 30% from three, but for his career, he is 35.7% from beyond the arc.
Outside of veteran Kevon Looney, the Warriors are very inexperienced at the center position. Getting someone like Bamba on the roster could provide some nice insurance if Looney gets hurt or teams start taking too much advantage of the inexperience of Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
3. Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson could be exactly what the Warriors need. Golden State has struggled this season with a lack of reliable ball-handlers outside of Stephen Curry. Last season, Jackson surprisingly averaged over 10 points per game while playing all 82 games for the title-contending Denver Nuggets.
For a 34-year-old point guard, that’s impressive -- showing he still has the durability and skill to be a productive rotational piece. This year, his role had significantly reduced with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that doesn't mean he can’t provide value elsewhere.
His ability to create off the dribble, run the second unit, and take some of the playmaking burden off Curry makes him a great fit. Golden State needs a steady backup ball-handler, and Jackson’s experience and leadership could make a real difference down the stretch.