Warriors miss opportunity to help SF Giants pursue Shohei Ohtani

The Golden State Warriors missed an opportunity to strengthen the SF Giants free agent pitch for Shohei Ohtani by failing to sign Yuta Watanabe.

Los Angeles Angels megastar Shohei Ohtani will likely be the best MLB player to reach free agency since Barry Bonds in 1992 this offseason.  NBA player Yuta Watanabe is a big supporter of his countryman Shohei Ohtani. Watanabe has visited Ohtani, worn his jersey before playoffs games, and congratulated him after big wins. He's also discussed wanting to play in the same city as Ohtani. With the SF Giants hoping to land Ohtani this offseason in free agency, the Golden State Warriors might land the free-agent forward.  

Yuta Watanabe wearing a Shohei Ohtani jersey 👀

📸 @BrooklynNets pic.twitter.com/ISWPXgTsab

— MLB Life (@MLBLife) April 21, 2023

Watanabe has had some promising flashes across his five-year NBA career but was expected to sign a veteran's minimum contract with a league contender. With the Warriors in need of shooting and size this offseason, Watanabe's 6'9'' frame and career 39.0% three-point percentage seemed like an obvious potential fit. Alas, Watanabe signed a veteran minimum deal with the Phoenix Suns instead, choosing to play on a super team with Kevin Durant that could offer him a larger role off the bench.

Free agent Yuta Watanabe has agreed on a deal with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023

Unless the Suns had another nefarious motive to target Watanabe.

Perhaps there is a more important reason Phoenix signed him: To help the Arizona Diamondbacks sabotage the Giants' efforts to sign Ohtani.

Clearly, the Suns don't need additional shooters when they already have Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Durant. Watanabe is great on corner threes, but do we really think those guys are passing the ball?

So the only reason Phoenix would sign Watanabe the moment free agency opened was to take away some of the Giants' leverage to sign Watanabe's good friend. 

The Diamondbacks haven't been listed as one of the teams likely to sign Ohtani, but they would make a certain amount of sense. Ohtani supposedly prefers teams on the West Coast, which Arizona is close to. Phoenix and Anaheim do have some similarities: Stifling heat, lots of retired people who vote Republican, and none of that massive fanbase pressure to make the playoffs.

Plus, Arizona has less than $50 million in guaranteed contracts for 2024. While they have historically run below-average payrolls, they have made occasional splashes on the free-agent market (Matt Williams, Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner, etc.). Perhaps they could be preparing to make Ohtani a big offer.

Back in May, Watanabe told NBA Japan that he wanted Ohtani to come play in New York while he was with the Nets.

"As rumored, it would be great if he came to New York," Watanabe said. "I wish I knew if I would stay in New York or not, but I’m going to be an FA, so I don’t know what will happen."

Watanabe regularly meets with Ohtani, including one memorable occasion where he attended an Angels game wearing a shirt that had multiple Ohtani faces all over it.

Yuta Watanabe is now wearing a shirt with a lot of Shohei Ohtani faces on it. pic.twitter.com/ZKa0JG2nDm

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 8, 2019

He also took time out of his NBA schedule to congratulate Team Japan on their dramatic World Baseball Classic win, in which Ohtani struck out teammate Mike Trout to earn the save, after also reaching base twice as Japan's designated hitter.

Now, the Warriors have a lot of pressure from their Mission Bay neighbors. Helping Steph Curry win his fifth title is one thing, but helping bring a historic ballplayer to the SF Giants is another. The Dubs have until the trade deadline to figure out how to acquire Watanabe from Phoenix. It could be new Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s toughest test yet.