The ring chasers are coming! The ring chasers are coming! What a fantastic situation for a team to be in: solid veterans lining up to play for you because they can’t envision any other location more expectant to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy next June.
NBA.com first reported that David West has agreed to sign with the Warriors. West famously forfeited about $10 million from the Indiana Pacers last offseason to take the veteran’s minimum in San Antonio, presumably to try to win a championship with a contender.
David West to the Warriors on a one-year deal, per source, for vet minimum.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 5, 2016
West apparently gave up on the Spurs just one season into his bold experiment, opting out of his contract to test the free agent market once again.
The Kevin Durant signing seismically shifted the power balance in the NBA, and players who prioritize winning before monetary riches will all seriously explore the opportunity of signing with his franchise that seems destined for greatness.
West isn’t the all-star caliber player he once was, but he’s still a solid rebounder, defender, and a great midrange jump shooter. He can certainly help a team like this off the bench.
The Warriors were reportedly seeking to re-sign Marreese Speights, but this West deal puts that somewhat in jeopardy. Both are power forwards, and perhaps this is an indication that the Warriors felt as though Speights wasn’t receptive to returning to the team on a discount.
The second unit is coming together nicely, with Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, and now West acting as the headliners. There’s still room for Speights’ skill set on this roster, but the West signing certainly brings repercussions.
A Speights’ deal seems less critical because of this signing. We’ll see if he still wishes to return to the team in some capacity, because the front office sounds amenable to bringing Speights back.
He can help bolster their depth as a shooter off the bench for the right price, but if a reunion with Speights doesn’t materialize, the West acquisition can provide solace.
Things will also be very interesting when Zaza Pachulia and West first meet with each other as members of the same team. Their altercation this past season looked contentions.
Nothing cures hard feelings quite like winning, though. Something tells me that they’ll let bygones be bygones in pursuit of a championship title.
Is there not one defensive-minded big man available ?