NBA Free Agency: 10 players most likely to move this summer
By Tom West
2. Festus Ezeli
If Festus Ezeli moves in free agency, it won’t be because the Warriors didn’t see a need for him. With Ezeli contributing so much this season, playing well in his 13 starts and upping his playing time from 11 minutes per game last season to 16.7 this, the Warriors know they have an excellent backup center. Even though his offensive game revolves around rolls to the basket and put-backs, his 15 points, 12 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per 36 minutes are a nice indicator of what he has to offer.
He’s athletic, he crashes the boards, he plays with physicality, and he can be an energizer off the bench for any team in the NBA lucky enough to have him. The question about Ezeli’s free agency is just how highly teams rate what he has to offer and what role they project for him, as there’s no doubt he could receive a bigger role elsewhere.
With a general lack of reliable, talented centers and the salary cap rising so high, it wouldn’t be remotely surprising to see a team overpay Ezeli this year.
Cue the Lakers, who already have a disappointing center in Roy Hibbert and will surely be looking for an upgrade in free agency. Thankfully for Ezeli’s bank account, if he wants to seek a starting role outside of Golden State, the Lakers may have nearly $70 million in cap space and are interested in bringing him to Los Angeles (per Sean Deveney of Sporting News):
"The Lakers, a source said, will have interest in Ezeli, seeing his size and rim-protecting defense as an ideal complement to forward Julius Randle. L.A., of course, just hired Warriors assistant Luke Walton to be its coach. Ezeli had the best months of his career in November and December, with Walton filling in while Kerr recovered from back surgery, and before Ezeli’s knee injury."
New head coach Luke Walton is ready to bring a fast-paced style to the Lakers, emphasizing speed on offense and transition play, which suits an athlete like Ezeli far better than Hibbert. Plus, Walton already has a connection with Ezeli after their time together in Golden State.
It’s obviously no foregone conclusion, and the Warriors will want to keep Ezeli without question. But if he wants something more after possibly winning two championships, hoping to establish his own talent in a bigger role, the Lakers (and others) could be ready to throw a lot of money his way.
Next: 1. Dwight Howard