The Golden State Warriors will once again enter free agency with little financial wiggle room, placing pressure on them to target specific areas of need on close to minimum-level money.
One position they could focus on is greater big man depth, with the franchise still without anyone above 6'10" on the roster after James Wiseman was traded to the Detroit Pistons over 15 months ago.
Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze has been identified as the Golden State Warriors number one target in free agency
The Warriors do have exciting young center Trayce Jackson-Davis and veteran big man Kevon Looney, but one suspects they may need another option across the course of a long season.
According to Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, Orlando Magic big man Goga Bitadze should be Golden State's top priority in free agency assuming he's obtainable on a cheap contract.
"The hope is Bitadze's limited floor time (15.4 minutes) held down his numbers enough for front offices to overlook him, or at least not make him a priority target. If he could be had on a clearance contract, he could become a rotation regular on next season's Warriors."Zach Buckley
Bitadze averaged 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 15.4 minutes this season. It was arguably his most impactful year in the league to date, though he was out of the Magic's playoff rotation behind Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Wagner while Jonathan Isaac also saw minutes as a center.
The 6'11" big man did enjoy 33 starts this season thanks to the absence of Carter, proving himself capable as an NBA rotation player who focuses on rebounding and interior defense. Such was Bitadze's impact that Carter briefly entered trade discussions before regaining his starting role.
The Georgian wouldn't be the worst option as a big body to fortify the front court, but he certainly shouldn't be at the top of the wish list for the Warriors in free agency. The franchise should prioritize a stretch big who offers something different to Jackson-Davis and Looney -- Bitadze has shot the ball occasionally from three, but is just 24.5% on one attempt per game throughout his career.