This NBA offseason has been full of experienced, veteran players being on the move via free agency and trades. While many teams have put the finishing touches on their roster ahead of the start of training camp in September, there are still some looking to add a little bit more talent. Not many impactful free agents remain, but JaVale McGee, a three-time NBA champion, is about to be available once his time with the Dallas Mavericks is officially over.
On Tuesday, NBA insider Marc Stein was the first to report that the Mavs and McGee would be moving on from one another after just one season, as the team is expected to waive-and-stretch him by the Aug. 31 deadline. Shortly after, The Athletic's Shams Charania not only clarified that the team would be waiving McGee but also re-signing veteran forward Markieff Morris to a contract for the 2023-24 season.
Last offseason, McGee agreed to a three-year, $17 million deal, owning a player option for the 2024-25 season. As a result, the Mavs will stretch the remaining $12 million on the 35-year-old's contract through the 2027-28 season at about $2.3 million per season. A formal announcement from the team is expected in the coming days.
The Mavs not only brought in Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings this offseason, but they also re-signed Dwight Powell and added Dereck Lively II with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They did not have a need for McGee anymore, which is why Dallas has decided to waive him.
Once he clears waivers, McGee will be an unrestricted free agent and eligible to sign with any other team in the league. He has 15 years of NBA experience with eight different franchises, plus he has been a part of three championship teams over the last seven seasons.
Maybe he is not the contributor he once was, but McGee has always been a reliable rebounder and the experience he can bring to any organization could be valuable, especially to teams vying for a championship entering the 2023-24 season.
As a result, both the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers may ponder the question of if signing the veteran is worthwhile, especially since they both lack frontcourt depth and have an open roster spot.
JaVale McGee's fit with Warriors
This offseason, the Warriors were quite active in terms of finding ways to maintain their championship pedigree. While they did not want to sacrifice the youthful, high-potential players on their roster, Golden State was forced to give up Jordan Poole and 2022 first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. in a salary dump move to acquire 12-time All-Star guard Chris Paul. Mike Dunleavy Jr., the organization's new general manager, also added key veterans such as Dario Saric and Cory Joseph in free agency.
Capitalizing on the remaining years they have with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is the main priority the Warriors have right now, which is why bringing in veterans who can help them compete for a title was vital. About a month out from training camp, this team currently has 13 players on their active roster, meaning they have two available roster spots.
It does appear as if Golden State will be making at least one more addition ahead of the start of the season, as the Warriors have held workouts with several veteran free agents such as Harry Giles, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Kent Bazemore. Saric will help fill some holes in the frontcourt, but the fact of the matter is that the Warriors still lack big man depth outside of Kevon Looney and Green. This is why players like Giles and Toscano-Anderson were invited to workout in San Francisco.
Having a true center who can step up in limited minutes when needed, especially if Looney or Green are injured, will be vital to the Warriors' potential success. A player like McGee could be a terrific addition to the end of the bench for various reasons.
Not too long ago, McGee was a member of the organization during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Both years ended in the Warriors hoisting the Larry O'Brien championship trophy into the air.
In 142 regular season games with Golden State, the big man averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 63.9 percent. However, his production and leadership meant a lot more than these numbers may reflect, as McGee was a spark of energy whenever he was inserted into the game.
The locker room embraced McGee and he truly made a difference in the postseason during these two championship runs. Obviously he wasn't as impactful as Steph or Klay, but he still played his role and was a true professional even though he did not see much playing time.
These are the type of players the Warriors need, especially if they are to continue being in the hunt for more titles. McGee is going to be looking to continue his career on a minimum deal and it is no secret that the Warriors will be looking to find another frontcourt talent before the new season begins.
He is familiar with the franchise and already has a relationship with the core of the team. This is why McGee going back to finish his career with the Warriors makes sense.
JaVale McGee's fit with Lakers
Even though they won their 17th title in 2020 when the NBA resumed its activities during the pandemic, the Lakers have not found much success in recent years. They lost in the first-round of the playoffs in 2021 and they missed the playoffs entirely in 2022.
General manager Rob Pelinka and Los Angeles' front office did a fantastic job of flipping this roster around ahead of the trade deadline last season and as a result, the Lakers found themselves in the Western Conference Finals as the 7-seed in the West.
Once again, the Lakers flipped their roster around in the offseason, as they brought back Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell in free agency. They also added the likes of Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Taurean Prince. A total of 13 players occupy roster spots for this organization right now and they too are wanting to add another frontcourt talent for depth behind Anthony Davis.
Christian Wood has been mentioned as an obvious choice for Los Angeles to pursue, but there has been no movement on a new contract for him this offseason and it still appears as if Wood is mulling whether or not he would even accept a minimum deal. JaVale McGee, on the other hand, would be more than happy to sign a minimum deal to return to Los Angeles, as he was a member of the 2020 championship team.
In his two seasons with the team, McGee averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in 143 regular season games. He even started in 130 of these games, making an impact on offense as a strong screener who would be tough to stop rolling to the rim.
While they did sign Hayes this offseason, as mentioned previously, the Lakers could use a third big man for depth. McGee's presence also gives them a reliable rebounder and shot-blocker.
Who knows how many years left LeBron James has and like the Warriors with Curry, the Lakers are looking to capitalize on the remainder of James' career. He would not play much and wouldn't serve the same role he once held with the team, but McGee can easily fill the role held by Tristan Thompson last season in Los Angeles. Plus, he could also be a mentor for a young, athletic big man like Hayes.
At this point, the Lakers' options for who to add in their frontcourt are limited. Assuming they are not going to be bringing in Wood, McGee wouldn't be a bad backup plan whatsoever once he clears waivers.
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