The Golden State Warriors suffered a blow with the loss of Quinten Post in restricted free agency this offseason.
In one sense, it was always unavoidable. While Post took strides on the defensive end last season, his lack of bona fide rim protection and rebounding skill, combined with his dip in consistency from the perimeter, severely decreased his value. If a team was going to provide an offer sheet— like the Memphis Grizzlies did with their three-year, $30 million deal— Post was as good as gone this offseason.
But with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis as their two primary centers, the availability concerns for the Warriors were crystal clear. They needed to add a third center, and their signing of Charles Bassey to a reported one-year, $2.85 million deal addresses that almost immediately.
The loss of Post's upside as a floor spacer will certainly hurt. But in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Bassey showed exactly why his addition is justified— his rebounding and physicality will be the perfect complement to the skill-sets of Horford and Porzingis.
“I like physicality. I like to play down there. KP and Al, they want to shoot more, they want to be outside the paint. Me just being down there, me just being that bruiser for the team and getting rebounds offensively and defensively playing with those guys, it’s going to be a good season because we can play together.” Charles Bassey via NBC Sports Bay Area
Charles Bassey will be a solid addition to the Warriors' center rotation
Even in Bassey's short stint with the Warriors last season, he provided a burst of inspired, energetic play in what was otherwise a dismal time for the team. Across five games, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and one assist while shooting 67.7% from the field.
It's unreasonable to expect him to match that production in 2026-27. As long as Horford and Porzingis are on the court, his opportunity will be minimized. But Horford played in just 45 games last season. Although Porzingis seemed to find a way to maximize his availability after his arrival in Golden State, he still missed a large swathe of games as he managed his injury and illness issues.
Even on the low end, it's reasonable to expect Horford and Porzingis to miss 20 games each this season.
But even beyond that, both Horford and Porzingis's skill-sets primarily lie on the perimeter. They're both capable rebounders, but their ability to provide physicality in the paint and secure extra possessions at a high rate are limited. Horford posted a total rebound percentage of 12.6 last season. Porzingis's was 12.5 during his time with Golden State.
Bassey, meanwhile, posted a 20.6 total rebound percentage across the four teams he appeared with last season.
Bassey, of course, has his limitations. He doesn't have much upside as a passer or a playmaker, and he's not a piece the Warriors will want to saddle with major offensive duties. But in terms of pure energy— in making the right plays and consistently hustling to secure extra possessions— Bassey is the right fit alongside Horford and Porzingis.
You're not going to find a better addition than that at this point in the offseason.
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