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Kevin Durant deciding to move from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors sent shockwaves through the entire NBA, and that includes the Warriors. While Golden State is surely happy to add one of the best players in the league to their already impressive roster, it also means that they have some cap space logistics to work out.
The Durant deal basically made moving Andrew Bogut an inevitability, given his contract. Now, the pieces have fallen into place, and the Warriors have reportedly traded Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks.
In exchange for Bogut, the Mavericks will send the Warriors a future second-round pick, according to reports. That may not seem like a lot, but Dallas is taking on Bogut’s salary, which is what Golden State really needed. The Warriors wanted to do good by Bogut, who had been a key player, at least defensively, for a few years, and the Mavericks are a good home for him.
On top of the Bogut trade, the Mavs signed Harrison Barnes, another former Warrior, to an offer sheet, and so it looks like he will be reunited with Bogut down in Dallas, alongside Dirk Nowitzki. If the Mavs really play their cards right, they could trot out a funhouse mirror version of the Warriors’ lineup.
Hear me out. Mavs sign Seth Curry, Jason Thompson, & Gerald Green.
Then roll out a lineup of
Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes, & Bogut.— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) July 4, 2016
Bogut is 31 now, and he’s had some injury issues, but he’s still a player who can make a real difference defensively. Bogut and Barnes likely won’t be enough to help make the Mavericks title contenders again. Especially since, in case you haven’t heard, Kevin Durant is a Warrior now.
