There aren’t a lot of sexy names left on the best available NBA free agents list. The Warriors are likely to land two of them, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. Still, are a 40-year-old and a role player coming off an ACL tear all that exciting? Not really. Still, the Warriors don’t have those deals locked up, which means they may need to look at some other players who are still available.
If the Warriors don’t end up landing Al Horford, they certainly will need a big man. One center who is still available on the market could be an intriguing Warriors free agent target.
Thomas Bryant, who just played real minutes in the NBA Finals, is still available on the free agent market.
While getting Bryant might not be the top priority for the Warriors, if Horford falls through, they may need to pivot quickly. Bryant played 56 games for the Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers last season.
He averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and shot 51.5% from the field. Bryant also has shown that he has an increasingly reliable three-point shot. He is a near 35% three-point shooter.
These numbers aren’t all that different from Horford’s. Bryant is also 13 years younger than Horford and could still improve.
That being said, despite his NBA Finals experience, Bryant isn’t battle-tested like Horford. Horford will bring a veteran savviness to the Warriors that is hard to measure. Horford is also miles ahead of Bryant as far as passing and playmaking.
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So yes, Bryant is an option. But Horford should remain the top Warriors ' free agent target for now.
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