The Golden State Warriors coveted Dwight Howard even if he decided to stick around for only a season and head elsewhere in free agency. But the Orlando Magic demanded a lot, and the Warriors had to back off and look for alternatives.
In this case, going to an option two at center made the most sense. Ken Berger of CBS Sports has more.
The Warriors are discussing ways to acquire center Andrew Bogut from Milwaukee as part of a complicated, three-team proposal that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando, multiple league sources told CBSSports.com.
The Warriors would get Bogut from the Bucks and send Ellis to Orlando as part of the Magic's efforts to persuade Dwight Howard that they are prepared to continue surrounding him with top-flight talent. The Magic are exploring multiple scenarios to upgrade their roster in the hopes that Howard would then relent on his strategy to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The Warriors would love to get a center like Bogut in place to shore up their rebounding efforts and make them a more complete basketball team on the interior. Right now Golden State has solid three point shooting and offensive production, but continues to lack defensive toughness. Bogut could provide them.
Unfortunately, just like Howard, Bogut might not be interested in sticking around Golden State.
To discuss the possibility of Bogut on the Warriors, head on over to Golden State of Mind. To talk about Bogut potentially leaving the Bucks, check out Brew Hoop. To learn more about Ellis potentially joining up with the Magic, hit up Orlando Pinstriped Post.