Given their dire need for more size and shooting, the Golden State Warriors have been linked to almost every stretch big that may become available this offseason.
The latest one hasn't drawn many headlines, yet remains an intriguing free agent option for the Warriors to consider. Sandro Mamukelashvili appeared in a career-high 61 games with the San Antonio Spurs this season, having began to develop into a bonafide NBA rotation player.
Sandro Mamukelashvili could be an underrated signing for the Warriors
The 6'11" big man also averaged a career-high 2.6 3-point attempts per game this season, including producing a notable night in March when he broke NBA history to become the first player ever to score 34 points in less than 20 minutes of game time.
That outing against the New York Knicks saw Mamukelashvili shoot 13-of-14 from the floor and a perfect 7-of-7 from 3-point range, while it was one of his 11 games of double-digit scoring over the last 18 games of the season.
Looking at the state of the Warriors and previewing their offseason on the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic proposed Mamukelashvili as a potential target given the 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent.
"Can they go and get Sandro Mamukelashvili? Like I actually don't mind Sandro minutes. I think they're interesting from time-to-time. Maybe it's something like that - your big who can space it or a forward that can space it," Vecenie said.
While he may not be as high profile as other free agent and trade options that Golden State have been linked to, Mamukelashvili could equally prove effective in addressing the need for shooting in the front court. The Georgian international averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.2 minutes with the Spurs this season, shooting 37.3% from 3-point range.
The biggest issue is that while Mamukelashvili does stand at 6'11", he's hardly the starting-calibre center that the Warriors could pair with Draymond Green. That means Golden State would need to look at additional options as well, and perhaps more proven experienced options like Brook Lopez or Kristaps Porzingis.
That's not to say Mamukelashvili wouldn't be a solid acquisition, but probably more so as a bench role player who would offer some versatility as a power-forward in bigger lineups or as a five-out center.
After returning to San Antonio as a free agent last offseason, perhaps Mamukelashvili could have his head turned by the Warriors or another team this time around with the promise of more playing opportunity.