Wright wasn’t the only player that did not receive an extension from the 2007 draft class on yesterday’s November 1st deadline. This isn’t to say that the Warriors won’t resign Wright because they still have the opportunity to match any team’s offer if they choose to.
But do the Warriors want to resign him when the restricted free-agent pool includes Greg Oden, Marc Gasol, Thaddeus Young, Rodney Stuckey, Jeff Green, Aaron Brooks, Wilson Chandler, Brandan Wright, Arron Afflalo, Yi Jianlian and Marcus Thornton?
Of these players, the Warriors most likely do not need any of them or rather can’t sign any of them given that most are decent starters demanding starting player money. The Warriors could finally pick up the Chinese player in Yi JIanlian they allegedly coveted in 2007 and supposedly drafted Brandan Wright for in an attempted trade proposal with the Milwaukee Bucks to swap picks and then some.
Yi Jianlian, like some of the current “bigs” on the Warriors, doesn’t play to his size and clearly lacks any real perimeter game (or game at all) either. Unless he’s playing against folded chairs, Yi just never looks that good. But he probably could be had for cheap and the Warriors could throw endless Asian Heritage Night promotions with Lin and him ont he roster.
Of that list, Marc Gasol seems the most intriguing and would provide the interior defense and toughness that this Warrior team lacked against the Lakers’ skillful and more aggressive frontcourt. But I imagine Memphis will probably will not let Gasol go when Zach Randolph’s contract expires and also Gasol’s price tag probably puts him way beyond what the Warriors could even afford.