Opinion: The Golden State Warriors Should Sign This 2009 NBA Champion
The Golden State Warriors are fresh off winning their fourth NBA Championship in the last eight seasons.
It's safe to say that their roster does not need a lot of help going into the 2023 NBA season.
However, on August 29, 2009 NBA Champion Trevor Ariza remains a free agent, and I believe that the Warriors should consider adding him to their roster.
Why?
Ariza is 37-years-old, so he is well past his prime, but he has always been a solid defender and three-point shooter over his 18 seasons in the NBA.
Both of those attributes are what makes the Warriors such a good team.
Even if he didn't play very much, just having him as depth on the roster for the regular season or NBA Playoffs could prove to be valuable.
Last season, he played in 24 games for the Los Angeles Lakers and averaged 4.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
He struggled shooting the ball (27% from the three-point range), but he is a career 35.1% shooter beyond the arc.
In 2014, he shot over 40% from the three-point range while playing for the Washington Wizards.
Another reason why he would fit in with the Warriors, is his experience.
He has played in 1,118 regular season games and 106 playoff games.
In 94 of those playoff games, he was a starter.
In 2009, he helped Kobe Bryant and the Lakers beat Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.
He averaged 11.3 points per contest on nearly 48% shooting from the three-point range in 23 games during the 2009 NBA Playoffs.