With how well Cedi Osman has been shooting at EuroBasket, the Golden State Warriors should seriously consider signing him to a contract. Osman played this past season with Panathinaikos, his first year of international ball since coming over to the NBA for the 2017-18 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Warriors still have a lot of work to do in order to fill out their roster heading into next season. They need to figure out the Jonathan Kuminga situation before any other dominoes fall, but Osman’s shooting performance with Turkey at EuroBasket should have him firmly on their radar ahead of next year.
Adding a forward who can shoot the ball as well as Osman would be a welcome addition to Steve Kerr’s lineup.
Why should Warriors sign Cedi Osman?
Golden State’s team is utterly incomplete at the moment. With the Kuminga situation in limbo, the Warriors haven’t been able to fill out their roster, with guys like Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton left waiting for their time to come.
But even if and when those guys sign on board with the Warriors, they will still have some holes at the forward position. Outside of Moses Moody, Golden State doesn’t have any true shooters at the forward position, and even he is more of a wing than a forward.
That’s why adding Osman, who is still only 30 years old, could be an intriguing option for the Warriors to consider. His performance at EuroBasket has certainly given them something to think about.
Through Osman’s first four games with Turkey at EuroBasket (four wins), he has shot 50.0% from beyond the arc on 5.5 attempts per game (11/22). And he’s been shooting well for much longer than just this summer.
During his 65-game campaign with Panathinaikos (across two competitions), Osman shot 37.4% from deep on nearly 3.95 three-point attempts per game. And the year before that, in 72 games with the San Antonio Spurs, he shot 38.9% from distance on 3.1 attempts.
At 6-foot-7, Osman is big enough to play the three, and could even slide up to the four in some small-ball lineups. Adding his three-point shooting to the mix would help Kerr space the floor for Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler to work.
Though Osman didn’t play in the NBA last season, he’s the exact type of player the Warriors should be looking to add to their roster. EuroBasket has given Osman the chance to show of his skills, and Golden State needs to take notice.