The Golden State Warriors appear interested in free agent forward Davis Bertans, according to the 31-year-old's agent Arturs Kalnitis on Monday.
Taking to his instagram story, Kalnitis confirmed that Bertans "will prepare for the upcoming season with the Golden State Warriors", while wishing his player luck in the Bay Area.
Davis Bertans could be an intriguing training camp and preseason watch for the Golden State Warriors given their need for front court shooting
Nicknamed the "Latvian Laser", Bertans played 43 combined games with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets last season where he averaged 6.7 points in 15.7 minutes while shooting 38% from three-point range.
Bertans best season came in 2019-20 with the Washington Wizards where he averaged 15.4 points and 4.5 rebounds, having shot a scorching 42.4% from the three-point range on 8.7 attempts per game. He received both Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year votes in that season, but otherwise his most recent five-year, $80 million contract has been viewed as one of the worst in the league.
On a minimum contract Bertans could serve a purpose though, particularly for a Warriors team desperately lacking any sort of high-level perimeter threats in the front court after missing out on a trade for another European sharpshooter in Lauri Markkanen.
While there's been no confirmation, it seems likely that Bertans' contract is just a training camp one at this stage, allowing him the opportunity to impress and perhaps earn a standard deal with the franchise ahead of the regular season.
Golden State currently have one roster spot available, but do not hold the financial flexibility to sign Bertans or any other free agent at this stage. Gui Santos has a non-guaranteed contract, though Bertans would have to impress significantly to win a roster spot over the Brazilian forward.
Bertans has played for five NBA franchises, including being part of the Dallas Mavericks 2021-22 roster that met the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. It wasn't a great series for the eight-year NBA veteran who averaged just 3.2 points and shot 21.4% from three-point range across the five games.
Warriors training camp is set to take place in Hawaii after media day on September 30, with six preseason games scheduled starting with a matchup against the L.A. Clippers on October 5.