Golden State faced adversity and prevailed in last night’s victory versus the Kings. In that game, 12 of the 13 active players saw the floor. The only player that did not was Nemanja Nedovic. As we have reported, the Warriors declined the option to pick up his contract.
Other players that had contracts that were eligible to be picked up were Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli. Unlike Nedovic, Barnes and Ezeli received the good news that the team has decided to exercise their option to pick up the players for a fourth year. The news was reported by Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group:
Warriors exercised fourth-year options on Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli.
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) October 30, 2014
The move to pick up Barnes and Ezeli’s contract was expected. Harrison Barnes has become a crucial piece of the roster. He was moved into the starting five while Andre Iguodala has relocated to the bench to provide a spark and leadership. Both players are under contract through the 2015-16 NBA season.
For those wondering about an NBA team’s options,Warriors team website states that the team has the power to exercise third and fourth year option:
Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.
The Warriors depth was questioned early in the season as David Lee was forced to miss the game with a hamstring injury. To add more insult to injury, Andrew Bogut was not at full strength since he was fighting the stomach flu. The Warriors depth has always been questioned especially at the front court positions. Ezeli made his regular season return to the floor after missing 18 months and brought his tough defensive presence. If he stays healthy, the Warriors will have plenty of big bodies at their disposal.