Andrew Bogut is coming back to the United States, and he’s already a favorite to win another NBA title. That’s because the Golden State Warriors are interested in signing the veteran forward, and it looks like a deal is close.
Bogut was reportedly the target of a number of different NBA teams. Currently playing in Australia with the Sydney Kings, the Aussie native was in talks with a few contenders to rejoin the NBA and on Monday, word broke that the Warriors were among the favorites to pick the former first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft up.
Multiple contenders, including Golden State and Philadelphia, are expected to express interest in upcoming free agent Andrew Bogut. His season has ended in playoffs of Australia’s NBL, where Bogut was league MVP and DPOY, and he will take some time to decide on next team.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 3, 2019
The Golden State Warriors have emerged as the frontrunners for Andrew Bogut, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Bogut’s representatives are working this week through letter of clearance process from Australia’s Sydney Kings.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 4, 2019
Charania’s initial report was quickly followed by one from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports which says that Bogut’s decision has been made, he’s simply waiting for permission from his current team to come join the Warriors. Hayes reported that the Sydney Knights need to sign a letter of clearance for the move, which reportedly will take about 48 hours. Haynes had noted that the Celtics and Sixers also showed interest in Bogut, 34, who last played with the Lakers in 2018.
Golden State has been looking for depth up front for some time, and had considered Robin Lopez from the Bulls earlier in the year. Chicago, however, refused to negotiate a buyout, knowing the Warriors had interest. Getting Bogut would be a bit ironic considering the team once had a deal swapping he and Steph Curry with the Bucks. That obviously never happened, and Bogut later played for and win a championship with the Warriors in 2015.
But in this context it’s fun to think about that trade once more. It’s hard to imagine the two players’ roles reversed, with Curry playing in Australia waiting for another chance in the NBA.
