Andrew Bogut‘s arrangement with the Warriors will only cover the rest of this season, according to a tweet from his Australian team, the Sydney Kings. The Kings referred to Bogut’s Golden State deal as “a short-term contract for the remainder of the current NBA season,” adding that he “will return to Sydney, and the purple and gold faithful, ready to go for #NBL20.”
Bogut will make $487K during his time in Golden State, according to salary cap expert Albert Nahmad (Twitter link). He will count $308K against the salary cap and will increase the Warriors’ tax payment by $1.2MM, pushing the total to $51.5MM.
The 34-year-old center told Marc Stein of The New York Times he is surprised to be back in the NBA, figuring that the door “had shut” when he didn’t get another opportunity after being waived by the Lakers in January of 2017.
Bogut said the Warriors began calling him in December, even though they knew he wouldn’t be available until Sydney’s season ended.
“To come back to the NBA, for me, was basically Golden State or nothing,” Bogut explained. “But the fact it was Golden State — it was the kind of opportunity that I would be kicking myself if I didn’t take.”
Bogut called it “my official retirement from the NBA” when he agreed to a two-year contract to play in Australia last April. The deal doesn’t include an escape clause for the NBA, so Bogut had to get the Kings’ permission to sign with the Warriors.
Stein notes that Golden State made an effort to add players in the buyout market, which would have filled the roster spot that went to Bogut. However, once the March 1 deadline for postseason eligibility arrived and it became clear that Robin Lopez was staying with the Bulls, the Warriors resumed their pursuit of Bogut when Sydney was ousted from the playoffs.
Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris, who drafted Bogut in 2005 when he served as GM in Milwaukee, traveled to Australia to scout the veteran center and let him know that Golden State wanted to get a deal done. Bogut was named Defensive Player of the Year in Australia – as well as MVP – and should help fortify a Warriors team that has fallen to 16th in the league in defensive efficiency.
He will return to play alongside Kevin Durant, who was responsible for his departure from Golden State after the 2016 season. In their effort to free up enough cap room to sign Durant, the Warriors traded Bogut to the Mavericks.
“The Golden State Warriors are a very special organization in my heart,” Bogut said. “I had a lot of great years there and won a championship. Even though they moved me, it was understandable to get a guy like Kevin Durant. I probably would have traded myself if I had the same opportunity.”
If he plays well enough that an NBA team wants to sign him to a guaranteed contract for next year, he’s not going back to Australia, let’s be real here.
He is under contract. It says his team in Australia had to allow him to play for GS.
Just like they’ll “allow” him to forgo his final year if an NBA team wants him for 2019/20.
I think they’d be probably be open to that, though it would require a buyout.
Why would he do that? He clearly enjoys going home to play, without the grind of an NBA season (that his body can’t handle), then playing a few playoff minutes to get a ring.
Why would he sign an NBA contract? I think that’s pretty self explanatory. In his own words, he only went to Australia because his NBA options dried up in 2017. Sorry, but if he plays well on this Warriors contract, it’s highly likely he will not be participating in the Aussie Shrimp on the Barbie Comp next year!
He will return to preserve his future ownership interest in the Kings. And he will hopefully return as a two-time NBA champion, elevating his and the NBL’s status. And then he can do it again next year after his season with the Kings, to go get a third ring. He is playing really well.