The Golden State Warriors are zeroed in on Al Horford as their primary free agency target, with most expecting the veteran center to join the franchise once Jonathan Kuminga's future is resolved whenever that may be.
So eager are the Warriors on Horford that they're willing to bypass other potential options in the process, including perhaps the most notable free agent center that's now headed to a direct pacific rival.
The Warriors reportedly had no interest in Deandre Ayton
As soon as Deandre Ayton was stunningly bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors became an obvious potential destination given their lack of a starting center and general size on the roster overall.
The Los Angeles Lakers were an even more obvious fit though, quickly signing the former No. 1 overall pick to a two-year, 16.2 million contract. Perhaps Golden State would have never beat out their divisional rivals anyway for Ayton's services, but it's still interesting to hear Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area report that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office never had interest in the 26-year-old.
"The Warriors, according to multiple league sources, were not among the teams that lined up to gauge Ayton’s interest – despite some reports stating otherwise," Poole wrote.
Not pursuing Ayton is a contentious decision, and perhaps one that further signals that Horford is on his way to the Bay Area. There's little doubt that Ayton comes with his flaws, and that his on-court fit would have been questionable given his inability to stretch the floor all the way to the 3-point line, while also wavering in effort on defense.
Then you've got the cultural and locker room aspect of whether a player whose effort and desire to win has often been questioned, mixing with a trio of hard-nosed, do everything to win veterans in Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
For all those elements, Ayton was clearly the most talented big man available in free agency as someone who's averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds on 59% shooting for their career. Beyond he and Horford, the center free agent market is incredibly bleak -- at least if you're looking for a starter-level player.
Should the Warriors have simply tried to get Ayton knowing the alternatives were/are quite dire? There's a real argument for that, making their decision not to show interest in the seven-footer all the more debatable.
It will be much more admissible so long as they actually get Horford, but until the 5x All-Star offiically puts pen to paper, the Warriors are at his mercy given no real backup plan appears on the horizon.