NBA: 15 potential ‘under-the-radar’ free agent moves

Festus Ezeli, PF (Golden State Warriors)

Festus Ezeli is a solid yet limited player. He’s perfect for the Golden State Warriors; the team brings him on in key situations as a post defender who can be a willing recipient of easy baskets on the other end. The team could use him, but never depends on him for production. In short, he does not enable bad teams become good, but helps good teams get better.

Ezeli’s athleticism allows the Warriors a safety net for the oft-injured Andrew Bogut, and with him in the fold, the Warriors can flip through the rolodex of Bogut, Ezeli, Draymond Green and Marreese Speights at the 5 depending on their needs. They have the luxury of having only one of these players be an essential piece: the versatile Green.

Ezeli’s status as essential is simply not there; it then stands to reason that Ezeli’s market value quickly exceeds his value on the Warriors. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported that teams could be looking to sign Ezeli for way more than he has made:

"“Three years and $50 million? According to several league executives, that is likely to be what it takes to land Warriors restricted free agent center Festus Ezeli this summer. “Obviously there are health issues you’re worried about,” one general manager told Sporting News. “So I don’t think you’d want to go beyond three years. But he still has a lot of upside and he can get better in a bigger role.”"

$17 million a year is insane for a player with Ezeli’s limited skill set, where he is below average at low-post offense and mid-range shooting. There’s no way he returns to Golden State at that number. Still, Ezeli could end up influencing the rest of the market for other young big men.

[H/T: Sean Deveney at The Sporting News]

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