5 free agency destinations for Festus Ezeli

While it is almost always the wisest decision for a free agent to re-up with current team in NBA free agency because of Bird Rights, getting more money and that extra year on a contract, why would Ezeli want to leave the best team in basketball in Golden State unless the Warriors don’t offer him any kind of contract?

Ezeli may not get the pay day he wants in free agency as an often-injured, deep rotational reserve, but not only do the Warriors understand his value to the club, but are in a place that will allow him to come back at full strength since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in late January.

In short, Ezeli will make more money and have a more guaranteed role in re-signing with the Warriors that with any of the other 29 teams in the National Basketball Association. Ezeli knows Kerr’s system inside and out. It would be mighty hard to walk away from a perennial 60-game winner strictly out of pride for Ezeli.

With the NBA salary cap set to explode with all that new TV money coming in summer 2017, Golden State can absolutely afford to overpay Ezeli to keep him in Northern California and prevent him from signing elsewhere.

Unless Ezeli truly believes that he is ready to start and deserves well more than he’s worth as a four-year NBA veteran, his best decision is to agree to whatever Joe Lacob offers him to re-sign with the Warriors this summer. Nobody should leave a historically dominant team willingly. While Golden State maybe willing to part ways with Ezeli this summer, if it’s entirely up to Ezeli, he should stay with the Warriors.

For more posts on 2016 NBA free agency, please check out our NBA free agency hub page.