3 NBA champion Warriors who won’t be back next season
By Ian Levy
2. The Warriors might not have a spot for Nemanja Bjelica
The Warriors made two huge offseason additions, adding Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica on minimum deals. Both played important roles for the team throughout the season and Bjelica averaged 13.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per 36 minutes, shooting 36.2 percent from beyond the arc. His passing and shooting from the frontcourt was a great fill-in and kept the Warriors’ offense humming.
However, both Bjelica and Porter Jr. are now free agents and both will likely be looking for a raise. And the Warriors might not need both next season, with Kuminga and Moody playing bigger roles. All else being equal, Porter Jr. probably makes more sense as a more versatile defender who is also five years younger than Bjelica. But this may come down to which player is willing to settle for what the Warriors can afford to pay.