The Golden State Warriors are having arguably the worst offseason of any team after missing out on LeBron James. No backup plan sees Golden State potentially going into next season with the identical roster to last year. First round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg is the only new addition to the roster, and it is hard to trust an NBA rookie outside of the top five as your biggest acquisition.
Sports Illustrated’s Joey Akeley named one interesting under the radar option for Golden State to take a chance on:
“The Philadelphia 76ers just waived Dalen Terry to help make room for LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. That gives the Warriors an opportunity to take a flier on a 24-year-old wing with size (6’6″) and athleticism.
Terry’s Defensive EPM ranked in the 75th percentile last year. In comparison to Agbaji, Terry has more shooting issues, but he’s a better passer and gets more steals. If the Dubs want to fill out the roster with a more experienced wing, Terry is a decent option.”
Terry certainly could make sense as someone talented enough to have a fair chance at making the roster in training camp. The 76ers and Chicago Bulls have both seen Terry playing for them in bench roles. Terry has yet to prove he’s a surefire NBA rotation player, but he’s been impressive enough to average double digit minutes per game.
How Dalen Terry Could Help Warriors
Golden State needs to add more bodies to give themselves some new options ahead of next season. A team with older players like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis will likely see those names missing some time throughout the season.
Terry would provide some depth for the guard and small forward positions. Defense and passing are Terry’s strong suits that could each improve the Warriors bench if he received a roster spot. Moses Moody’s injury could see him missing a few months to warrant signing a guard.
Golden State also would have all the leverage since Terry is looking for an NBA job after getting waived by the 76ers. If Philadelphia hadn’t signed LeBron and Dean Wade, they would have likely kept Terry on the roster since he has some upside if he learns from his previous seasons.
Warriors Need To Find “Lottery Ticket” Players
The Warriors are unable to add a major player unless they can convince an established name on the free agent market to take a cheaper offer. Golden State has not been linked to talents like DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal, despite them likely taking small deals.
Young talents yet to prove themselves are likely the Warriors’ path towards adding some new names before next season. The hope remains that Jimmy Butler returns and is still an All-Star caliber player, but they should take risks on talents in their 20s to see previous teams give up on them.
Terry stands out for that reason, but there could be other relevant names that fit into this category. General Manager Mike Dunleavy must scour the market for one of two “lottery ticket” players in the hopes that they overachieve and pay off to help the team.
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