General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has revealed the Golden State Warriors made a choice to prioritize talent over availability this offseason, making a gamble on former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons even more obvious as they look to round out the roster.
Taking a risk on Simmons would be the epitome of focusing on talent over availability, with the 30-year-old eyeing a return to the NBA after playing in just 108 games over the previous five seasons.
Ben Simmons move becomes clearer after free agency revelation
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Dunleavy confirmed the Warriors had a choice to make and openly admitted the front office is taking a risk with valuing talent over health.
"Constructing (the roster) we had to make a decision between talent and availability," Dunleavy said. "There was no perfect solution in terms of the combination of the two. We leaned a little bit more toward talent... We are taking on some risk there, but I think we value the talent over maybe finding guys that were perfectly healthy."
Dunleavy is clearly referring to Golden State bringing back both veteran centers Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford despite the former Boston Celtics championship duo combining to play just 77 games last season.
They also re-signed veteran guard De'Anthony Melton to a two-year, $12.4 million contract despite his injury history, having played in only 93 games across the past three seasons which included a long stint on the sidelines recovering from a torn ACL.
Ben Simmons would be the ultimate talent vs. availability decision
With the Warriors in a gap year where they're not really rebuilding nor in genuine championship contention, why not double or triple down on this talent focus by signing Simmons and seeing if he can rediscover some of what made him a three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year?
No one is expecting Simmons to become a star once again, but his 6'10" size, ball-handling, defense and reported regaining of athleticism are traits Golden State could utilize and might just make him a 20-minute per game rotation player in the league.
Of course, there's a strong chance things never work out. Simmons has been debilitated by back injuries over recent years, losing his athleiticsm and confidence which has seen his career collapse to the point of being out of the NBA last season.
But as Simmons targets a return on a minimum contract, Dunleavy's comments are a clear indication that the Warriors should be interested in taking a swing on the former first overall pick.
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