Warriors' LeBron James Plan Could Lead to Surprise Big Man Signing

The Golden State Warriors continue to wait for LeBron James' free-agency decision, and it's widely expected that if they get James, they'll re-sign Draymond Green as well.

With those two on the roster, they'd have 13 players under contract, including three centers (Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Charles Bassey) and four forwards who are big enough to play power forward (James, Green, Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg).

So one could assume that the Dubs would have no use for another big, but Jake Fischer said on a Bleacher Report Live stream that Kelly Olynyk or Georges Niang "could very well be on the radar for the Golden State Warriors if they were to get a LeBron assurance."

Fischer added that the Warriors could be looking for big man depth after losing Quinten Post to the Grizzlies and that either player would be a veteran minimum signing.

Of the two, Olynyk is more intriguing.

Olynyk Would Be Offensive Upgrade on Bassey

With how many games Porzingis and Horford could miss, the Warriors could consider having a fourth center on the roster.

Olynyk didn't play much last season with the Spurs, but the following three seasons he averaged 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .534/.397/.809 shooting splits.

His ability to stretch the floor and make good passing reads would work well in the Warriors offense.

In the last nine seasons, the 7-footer has had a positive offensive net-rating swing in eight of them, per Cleaning the Glass.

Olynyk plays much more like Porzingis and Horford than Bassey does. From an offensive continuity standpoint, there could be advantages to having your top three centers playing similarly.

And there's no doubt that the Dubs would have better spacing with Olynyk playing alonside James instead of Bassey playing alongside the four-time MVP.

It Would Be a Risky Plan

The Dubs would have to ask themselves whether they can afford to have another older player on the roster.

Olynyk is 35. On a veteran minimum, he'd be a good value, but they need their depth players to be available in a pinch.

Olynyk has played in just 86 games over the last two seasons. It would be borderline disastrous if the Warriors gave Olynyk a standard contract and he wasn't healthy when they needed him to fill in for Porzingis and/or Horford.

The Dubs will already be without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody for a chunk of the 2026-27 season. They can't afford many more injuries.

Another possible solution to Golden State's center depth issue is giving Graham Ike a two-way contract and activating him any time they need a third center.

Ike impressed in summer league, averaging 10.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

That plan has its risks as well. Ike could struggle against NBA competition.

The most interesting possible solution is trading for Anthony Davis after landing James. But it's hard to know how feasible that option is. The Wizards might be holding out for an outrageous trade price.

Ideally, the Warriors would use one of their last roster spots on an athletic wing whether they land James or not.

But after seemingly not even getting into the bidding for Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, they don't seem that interested in wing depth.

If that's the case, the next best option is to fortify the center rotation with Olynyk.

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