NBA Rumors: Andrew Bogut Could Sign With Warriors After Aussie Stint Ends, Per Shams Charania
In the past months, rumors and speculations are circulating that the Golden State Warriors are targeting a starting caliber center who could serve as insurance if DeMarcus Cousins suffers another injury. The Warriors have been linked to Robin Lopez, but the Chicago Bulls let the March 1 playoff-eligibility waiver deadline without buying out the veteran center’s contract.
Marcin Gortat, who was waived by the Los Angeles Clippers after the February NBA trade deadline, has already stated his desire to sign with the Warriors but Golden State doesn’t to be interested in adding him to their roster. On Twitter, Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed that the Warriors are keeping an eye on Andrew Bogut.
“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.”
Signing Andrew Bogut makes a lot of sense for the Warriors since he no longer needs to familiarize himself with their system. The 33-year-old played for the Warriors for four NBA season where he helped them win an NBA championship title in 2015. Bogut was also part of the Warriors’ roster that beat the record of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls after finishing the 2015-16 NBA season with 73 wins.
Could Aussie Andrew Bogut be headed back to the #NBA?https://t.co/RnrubbmaPv
— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) March 3, 2019
Andrew Bogut’s stint with the Warriors ended when they blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals 2016 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. To make enough salary cap room to sign Kevin Durant, the Warriors traded Bogut and a future second-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks. Bogut played his last NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers before deciding to return to Australia to remain with his pregnant wife.
Andrew Bogut immediately made a name in Australia’s NBL where he earned NBL Most Valuable Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBL First Team. However, Bogut, who finished the season with 11.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 56.0 percent shooting from the field, failed to help the Sydney Kings win the NBL championship title after they were eliminated in the semifinals.
Once Andrew Bogut becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Warriors are expected to immediately engage in a contract negotiation to bring him back to their roster. However, the Warriors aren’t the only team who’s interested in signing Bogut. As Charania noted, the Philadelphia 76ers are among the teams who are planning to offer Bogut a contract.
