What Dunleavy loves most about Warriors’ Saric, Joseph’s moves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
LAS VEGAS — Draymond Green staying in a Warriors jersey was the No. 1 priority in Mike Dunleavy’s first offseason as general manager, and second place wasn’t particularly close.
Once NBA free agency began June 30 at 3:00 p.m. PT, Green agreed to a new, four-year, $100 million contract that includes a fourth-year player option. When the Warriors could be on the phone looking for new players, they had one person in mind: Dario Šarić.
Although Šarić has yet to sign on the dotted line Monday night and Dunleavy said Golden State “intends to sign him,” sources confirm to NBC Sports Bay Area that the former 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft will soon be a warrior. , agreeing to a one-year minimum contract for veterans.
“We’ve had a lot of success signing guys who probably should be earning more than the minimum and were able to come and help our team,” Dunleavy said Monday at the Las Vegas Basketball Center. “You talk about guys like [Nemanja Bjelica]Otto [Porter Jr.] and even Donte [DiVincenzo] last year which was more than a minimum but took less than market value.
Dunleavy was on the phone talking to Šarić and his representatives on the first day, and the two sides eventually reached an agreement over a week in free agency.
“It took a while to convince but I think we were able to sell our program, our culture, our way of playing and I think Dario saw that vision and we’re really excited to have him,” said Dunleavy.
It’s not always easy to find big men who fit well into coach Steve Kerr’s offensive system. Kevon Looney (6-foot-9) does it perfectly as a solid rebounder who navigates as an off-the-post facilitator and has transformed into an elite defender. Green (6ft 6in) is a unicorn in his own right, serving as a point guard on offense, guarding all positions and always fighting those much bigger than him. Offensive threats don’t shoot the ball either.
Porter (6-foot-8) certainly was, and now serves as the prime example of a big forward stretch. The third overall pick in the 2013 draft shot 46.4% from the field and 37% on 3-point attempts in the Warriors’ 2021-22 league season. Šarić last season between the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder shot 45.8% from the field and made 39.1% of his threes.
At 6ft 10in, Šarić will also be the tallest Warriors player currently on the roster. He can play both spots down, and was primarily a center at OKC after being used primarily as a power forward at Phoenix to start the season.
Size could still be an issue for the Warriors on the outside. But looking at height is not the goal.
“There are about five vacancies and if we fill three or four, yes I think we would add size, but we have to be careful how we play, how the league works,” Dunleavy said. .
“You just have to bring someone who is tall – you have to have skill, you have to have feel, you have to know how to play. I think we’ve learned that over the last few years. We’ll always prioritize this, but the taller and longer a player is, the better.
That’s where Cory Joseph comes in. Not to be tall or tall at 6-foot-3, but to know how to play and have a sense of the game.
The Warriors signed free agent Joseph to a one-year deal worth just under $3.2 million to complement Steph Curry and Chris Paul as an extremely high-IQ ball handler who can also shoot the ball deep and not going to return the ball. left and right. While the Warriors led the league in assists per game, their reckless play also led them to top all teams in turnovers per game.
In 19.8 minutes per game last season for the Detroit Pistons, Joseph turned the ball over just 0.9 times per game, and his worst single-season mark is just 1.4 turnovers per game. His 3.88 assist-to-rotation ratio last season was eighth-best in all of basketball for players who recorded at least 200 assists.
“Playing in Detroit the last two years, the team maybe wasn’t on the radar too much, didn’t win a lot of basketball games, so you can’t lose sight of what he can do for a team in terms of leadership, his ball safety being one of the best players in turnover assist and he can defend,” Dunleavy said.
“He’s a guy who will be ready to come in and do whatever it takes every day. Chris and Steph will see a lot of minutes at point guard, but Cory will always be ready. He was delighted to sign here and we’re delighted to to see her.
Šarić and Joseph round out a well-rounded roster that Kerr can trust, and which Dunleavy says has experience returning to the Championship.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast