The Golden State Warriors are in a good position right now. They’re coming off making two impressive picks in the NBA Draft and will have their championship core back to full strength with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all ready to go.
The Warriors also have some nice pieces in Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and James Wiseman, plus there’s still a chance that Kelly Oubre Jr comes back next season. Then again, they need to add more depth and veterans around their stars.
So, even though that could be tricky given the limited cap space, Anthony Slater of The Athletic recently stated that there’s mutual interest between them and Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum.
NBA Rumors: Warriors Looking To Sign Nicolas Batum
“There is mutual interest between Batum and the Warriors, sources said. He’s currently in Tokyo, competing for France. But there is expected to be contact with his representation early in the free-agency process. Batum, sources said, understands how well he’d fit the Warriors’ system and, as a notable bonus, has an established relationship with new assistant Kenny Atkinson, who coached him last season with the Clippers,” reported Slater.
Warriors’ GM Bob Myers had already opened up about the possibility of bringing in more veterans. He knows that the money will be tight but that those players know that they can win a ring with that organization:
“The thing we hope we’ve accomplished in the last couple months (of the season), is proven to some of those kinds of (veterans), I think the Warriors can win,” Myers said. “They have to believe that. I hope we’ve showed that we’re close. But that’s what you get when you’re looking at a vet minimum or a vet taxpayer that’s maybe taking less money, is: Can I win with the Warriors?”
While far from his prime, Batum has been the Jack of all trades throughout his career in the league. His Swiss Army knife skill set can come pretty handily for Steve Kerr’s system, as well as his playoff experience.