Despite adding Trayce Jackson-Davis and Dario Saric this summer, the Golden State Warriors are still lacking size. No player on the roster is taller than 6 feet, 10 inches’, which could leave the Warriors susceptible to larger opponents throughout the season.
Golden State has two open roster spots heading into training camp. Following their offseason moves, the Warriors will likely utilize veteran minimum deals to round out their roster. One player being floated as a potential target is former Warriors champion JaVale McGee, who the Dallas Mavericks recently waived.
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area recently explored the upside of bringing the two-time Warriors champion back for another season as a potential short-term fix in the middle of the court.
“McGee would automatically add the missing size that the outside is begging for once again. Dario Šarić’s addition in free agency finally gives the Warriors a player taller than 6-foot-9 … by one inch,” Johnson wrote. “McGee is a true 7-footer, and though skill now beats pure size, it’s no coincidence the last five NBA MVPs have been big men – ending an 11-year streak of the award going to a point guard, shooting guard or small forward. And while Joel Embiid stopped Nikola Jokic from a three-peat of the award, the Western Conference is littered with stars who tower over the Warriors.”
JaVale McGee is owed $11,741,621 on the two years left of his contract (his 24-25 player option will be exercised before he’s waived-and-stretched). Mavs will stretch that amount over five years at $2,348,324 per season.
Stretch = two times the years left on the deal + one year. https://t.co/9BbmapJt2a
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 22, 2023
McGee’s size, experience, and familiarity with the Warriors would make him an ideal addition ahead of the new season. The veteran big man already knows the team’s style of play and has an on-court chemistry with Golden State’s championship core.
The move would certainly be a temporary fix for a longer-term issue, but McGee’s presence would ensure the Warriors can match size-for-size when teams decide to play big throughout the upcoming NBA season.
