Does the Andrew Bogut signing actually make sense for the Warriors?

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Andrew Bogut of the Kings reacts during the round 15 NBL match between the Brisbane Bullets and the Sydney Kings at Brisbane Entertainment Center on January 25, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
By Anthony Slater
Mar 4, 2019

The last we saw Andrew Bogut in the NBA, he was on the fringe of the Lakers rotation. Not the LeBron James Lakers. The Larry Nance Jr. Lakers.

Bogut got five, eight and eight minutes in his last three appearances, going scoreless twice. The next two games, he was the only player out of the 13 active Lakers not to enter. They lost all five games, as part of a nine-game losing streak. A day later, the Lakers cut him to make rotation room for young Ivica Zubac.

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So, no, that version of Bogut, an NBA flameout withering on a lottery team, can’t help this version of the Warriors. But this version of the Warriors is about to sign him, the surprising interest first reported by our Shams Charania.

Why?

It starts in Australia, Bogut’s home country. That’s where he went, 14 months ago, after getting waived by an 11-27 team. That’s where his battered body, punctured by the 82-game grind, and his mind, famously bemused by the strange and “fake” NBA lifestyle, began its slow recovery.

That’s also where the Warriors sent a representative in recent weeks to get a better read on Bogut. He’d rested those first few months, declined an NBA return this summer and reappeared in the Australian League this past October.

There, he played 30 games, spread over five months — sometimes with as much as a week in between each game — and won the league’s MVP award, averaging 11.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

But, more importantly than 81 blocks in 30 games, was the trim body and rejuvenation the experience appeared to give Bogut. At least, that’s what was reported back to the Warriors.

“Seems like he’s in a really good place,” a team source told The Athletic. “Physically and mentally. Shorter, less demanding season did wonders for him.”

But, still, the reunion is a shocking one. Bogut didn’t leave the Warriors on the bubbliest of terms. The franchise openly flirted with Kevin Durant during Bogut’s final season, that 73-win stampede. Understanding the NBA salary structure, he knew what that meant for him and his buddy, Harrison Barnes.

But the holdover voices in the Warriors’ locker room that matter — Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala — maintained a friendly enough relationship with Bogut from afar. He’s a known commodity in a locker room that understands the effects each ingredient can have on team chemistry.

So when they were approached in recent weeks about the growing idea, they gave the go-ahead, sources said. Without it, you might be looking at Marcin Gortat or someone else in that 15th roster spot.

But from a basketball perspective, does this actually make sense? That’s to be determined.

A couple months ago, it appeared clear the Warriors needed some center help. Damian Jones, the starter at the beginning of the season, tore his pec. He’s out until at least mid-May, making him basically playoff irrelevant. Jordan Bell had struggled in Year 2. DeMarcus Cousins remained an unknown.

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In a conference call on New Year’s Eve, general manager Bob Myers said the Warriors would likely fill their vacant 15th roster spot with a center. But Cousins’ return a couple weeks later lessened that as a priority. Cousins immediately proved capable and healthy enough to be relied upon as a 20-minute per night (at the least) option.

Suddenly the wing spot felt in more dire need of refreshment. Shaun Livingston has had a tough season. Alfonzo McKinnie has severely cooled since his sterling opening month. Quinn Cook and Jonas Jerebko aren’t hitting shots. Jacob Evans is buried in Santa Cruz.

Damion Lee, on a two-way contract but playing in front of every single one of those options during crunch time in Philadelphia on Saturday night, hit four important corner 3s against the Sixers. It was the loudest pitch he could’ve made to secure that 15th roster spot.

But two days later, news of the Bogut agreement emerged. Does that eliminate Lee? Not necessarily.

“Everything is an option until the last day,” a team source said.

Right now, Jones and Evans are the most unusable players on the roster. But both are under contract for next season. So, if you cut them, that’s dead weight on next season’s salary cap, an inadvisable move for a savvy front office.

So, if Lee’s shooting on the wing is prioritized, McKinnie, Jerebko and Cook — all on deals that expire after this season — could be on the chopping block.

But that’s a decision for early April. Whichever way they go, what’s clear is that the front office felt the need to add a defensively gifted, bigger-bodied center. With Zaza Pachulia and David West gone, defense and bulk at the center spot had been lacking.

Bell and Kevon Looney fit the modernized pace-and-space game. They can switch capably onto guards and wings, which is important. But Bell is small and Looney is thin. Big centers are a problem for both.

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Bogut may remain washed up in the NBA realm, but, if he’s got anything left in the tank, there are playoff matchups in which he could help. The three biggest threats in the West — the Nuggets, Thunder and Rockets — have large men with varying skill sets who will need to be contained: Nikola Jokić, Steven Adams and Clint Capela.

That’s not even to mention the monster who could conceivably be waiting out East, should the Sixers make the Finals. Joel Embiid mauled Looney and the Warriors for 26 points and 20 rebounds during a road win in Oracle last month.

Cousins is the best option to square up against an Embiid or Adams. But he has his defensive flaws, which have been on display of late. Teams target him in the pick-and-roll and, on Saturday, the Sixers got nine 3s from their shooting centers, knowing Cousins has a hard time sticking with stretch centers.

As skilled as Cousins may be, he doesn’t have a minute of playoff experience, when the need to defend at a sharp level is at the highest. Bogut does have that experience: 1,304 career postseason minutes, 1,132 of those with the Warriors. That’s why he’s coming back.

(Photo: Jono Searle/Getty Images)

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Anthony Slater

Anthony Slater is a senior writer covering the Golden State Warriors for The Athletic. He's covered the NBA for a decade. Previously, he reported on the Oklahoma City Thunder for The Oklahoman. Follow Anthony on Twitter @anthonyVslater