Bob Myers says Warriors working on extensions for Barnes, Ezeli
With the deadline for teams to reach contract extensions with members of the 2012 draft class soon approaching, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors have a couple of decisions to make as it pertains to two of their key role players.
Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli can hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2016, barring general manager Bob Myers locking up two pieces of his youthful core before Oct. 31.
In a recent interview with local radio station KNBR, Myers mentioned how agreeing to terms on new deals for Barnes and Ezeli is a prime objective of the franchise, according to Bay Area News Group's Diamond Leung.
Bob Myers to KNBR on extensions for Harrison Barnes & Festus Ezeli: "We're focused and motivated. Hopefully we can get something done."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) August 28, 2015
Bob Myers told KNBR the Warriors stocks to buy are Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli.
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) August 28, 2015
With the NBA's rising salary cap, Myers would be wise to avoid allowing two of his players to hit restricted free agency at the same time, as several teams will have the cap room to offer huge deals that the Warriors may not be inclined to match.
NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry will undoubtedly receive a max deal when his contract expires in 2017. With Golden State having already committed big dollars to both Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the more money available to sway "The Chef," the better. That would entail both Barnes and Ezeli signing reasonable contracts that don't hinder the franchise financially.
Barnes, 23, played a full 82-game slate this past season, averaging career highs in points (10.1), rebounds (5.5), field-goal percentage (48.2), and 3-point percentage (40.5). He saw an increased role during Golden State's postseason run, providing stellar perimeter defense, while hitting big buckets from behind the arc.
Selected with the final pick in the first round back in 2012, Ezeli, 25, was valuable insurance for the often injured Andrew Bogut. He's limited offensively, but is slowly establishing his name as a feared defensive presence who can protect the rim with his 7-foot-5 wingspan.
All one needs to do is look at the contract New Orleans Pelicans big Omer Asik signed this offseason to get an idea of how treasured bigs are on the open market. That could be a benchmark for the kind of money Ezeli would covet if he doesn't reach an extension soon with the Warriors.