Warriors rumors: Golden State gave Deandre Ayton the stiff-arm

The Los Angeles Lakers got their center in free agency after Deandre Ayton decided to sign with the team after being bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers. Almost every team in the Western Conference has a strong frontcourt, and then you look at the Golden State Warriors. Center has been one position where they haven’t been the strongest in some time, and they could have joined the Ayton sweepstakes. Surprisingly enough, they did not, according to Monte Porter of NBC Sports.

“The Warriors, according to multiple league sources, were not among the teams that lined up to gauge Ayton’s interest – despite some reports stating otherwise,” Porter wrote.

“Golden State’s lack of interest is curious because Ayton would have been a clear upgrade at center,” Porter wrote. “The 7-foot, 250-pound Bahamian would address the team’s dearth of interior length. He runs the floor well. His midrange shooting bends defenses. He’s the only active player to average scoring/rebounding double-doubles in each of his first seven seasons, and he has career averages of 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.”

Ayton would have been the perfect fit for the Warriors, but they did not go after him. It’s either that they have something up their sleeve, or they didn’t see Ayton as a true fit on the team.

Warriors need frontcourt help

The Warriors know that center is an important need for them in free agency, and they’ll have to address the position sooner rather than later. They’ve been linked to Al Horford for some time now, but he may be receiving interest from other teams as well. If Horford decides to sign somewhere else, it will be interesting to see what the Warriors do.

As of now, they have Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but they may want somebody more proven at the position. Kevon Looney left to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans, so the Warriors will need a true veteran in the frontcourt.

Draymond Green has played center more times than not in his career, but as he’s gotten older, head coach Steve Kerr has been trying to limit his minutes there. The options at center in the free agent market might be slim right now, and the Warriors could either sign someone, trade for someone, or stick with what they have.

There’s a good chance that they won’t say pat, and they’ll end up finding a way to improve their roster.