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The Golden State Warriors made an excellent signing last year inking Carl Landry to a deal that guaranteed that he would play in the Bay Area for at least one season. He is currently a free agent, and it appears that he is no longer in the organization’s plans due to financial reasons. The Warriors do not have much payroll flexibility with lengthy contracts being owed to Stephen Curry, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut, as well as eventual extensions needing to be done for Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson. They simply do not have the available funds to re-sign Landry so it only makes sense to look in a different direction for the forward spot.
An interesting name became available today in former Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough. The Pacers failed to extend to him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He makes a lot of sense for the Warriors as a cheaper and more affordable option to Landry. Hansbrough isn’t a great player, but he is serviceable and has proven he can do well in a reserve role. His best season came two years ago when he averaged 11 points and five rebounds in just 22 minutes per game. Those are solid averages given the lack of consistent playing time he received.
The Warriors will clearly need help in the front court this season, and a guy like Hansbrough would be a great fit for the price. The Warriors do not have a ton of money to spend so they have to bargain shop; Hansbrough will be a name to keep in mind later on this summer.
Rob Lunder covers the NBA for Rant Sports. For all NBA news go to the league home page on Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @rlunder18
