Warriors tied to Millsap with Free Agency Ongoing
It appears the Dubs might not be done just yet with their final roster spot still in the balance. The team had been loosely tied to veteran forward and former all-star Paul Millsap at the start of free agency, and although it appears those talks did not materialize, the team has not “closed the door” on signing Millsap, who played a good 20 minutes a game for the Nuggets last season, scoring a relatively-efficient 9 points per game on 34% from beyond the arc. Millsap was touted in his earlier days as a solid shooter and plus defender, even making the All-Defensive 2nd team in the 2015-2016 season. He would certainly be an addition that few could complain about character-wise, as his experience as a playoff contributor is not in question.
While Millsap does provide depth and can provide mentoring to rookie forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors have a very clear hole that may need to be filled: A backup point guard. Jordan Poole had a phenomenal stretch in the second half of last season after his G-League stint, but while Poole should absolutely be considered a key part of the team’s young core moving forward, a veteran floor general with some more experience could be a better option – both fit-wise and financially – for the Warriors to get back to contention.
The San Jose Mercury News’ Wes Goldberg provided four names at the guard position that he believes could bolster the roster: Jeff Teague, Avery Bradley, Dennis Smith Jr., and Frank Ntilikina. Bradley’s name was thrown around as a potential free agent target for the team, with his late-playoffs experience in Boston and defensive prowess, alongside serviceable shooting, being boons to the team. Teague (ironically Millsap’s former point guard in Atlanta) is also a good name to think about. Different from Bradley, he brings more experience as a lead guard and true facilitator with championship experience in Milwaukee to boot. Smith Jr. and Ntilikina are both former Knicks picks who didn’t pan out quite the way that New York may have liked (both were lotto picks in 2017), but they both have been on a few different teams and have their strengths: Ntilikina projects as a great defender, Smith Jr. is an explosive athlete with one of the league’s best first steps, and both are still young.
The problem with each of these signings however, is apparent. Ntilikina is an abysmal shooter, Smith Jr. is a poor defender and inconsistent playmaker, Teague is now 33 and lacks the explosive speed he once used to, and Bradley’s defense seems to have hit a bit of a decline, although he has not been around a contender since his Boston days. While each of these options has upsides and downsides, the Warriors may be best off with either Millsap, who can still shoot and defend and contribute at a high level as he showed with Denver last season, or using their 15th guaranteed spot on Gary Payton II. Payton II showed impressive versatility in the summer league games he played, with his defense showing flashes of his dad’s infamous tenacity and pickpocketing skills (some fans took to calling him “The Mitten” as an homage to his growing prowess compared to Payton Sr.’s nickname, “The Glove”) as well as solid decision-making and improved shooting.
Earlier, I mentioned that the team may need a backup PG. That word choice was deliberate. The Warriors don’t necessarily need a lead guard as a creator if they have Andre Iguodala and Jordan Poole playing at the same time, which would mean either Millsap or Payton II could come in and make an impact in a different way. While there isn’t a noticeable name on the PG depth chart, the Warriors scheme doesn’t always necessarily run through their guards: Players like Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, and David Lee were all integral parts of the offense in terms of passing and playmaking through the post during the earlier runs in Steph Curry’s MVP seasons. Millsap would be the safe pick should he accept a non-guaranteed minimum deal, as his size and playmaking prowess would slot him right in to a Draymond-lite role with the team’s bench units while still stretching the floor, and Payton II could instead secure a two-way contract and later replace Millsap on the full roster should he be available. It will be an interesting watch to see how that 15th slot is filled, with the season on the brief horizon.