Patrick McCaw

Warriors Notes: McCaw, Livingston, Durant, Kerr

Patrick McCaw will probably accept the Warriors’ qualifying offer before training camp opens, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. A restricted free agent, McCaw has been waiting all summer for a team to offer more than Golden State’s QO of $1.7MM.

A disappointing second season contributed to McCaw’s current situation. His 2-point and 3-point shooting percentages both declined, and his scoring and rebounding numbers didn’t improve, even with a slight increase in playing time. Still, McCaw will likely remain in the rotation if he returns to Golden State, which may not be guaranteed if he signs elsewhere.

Both parties have leverage in the standoff, Slater notes. The Warriors can match any offer that McCaw receives, while he and his representatives know that the team can only offer minimum deals to potential replacements. With 13 players under contract, Golden State plans to give the 14th roster spot to McCaw while keeping the final one open.

Slater passes along more Warriors info in his mailbag column:

  • Golden State will have to make a decision on Shaun Livingston‘s partially guaranteed contract for 2019/20 by June 30, and the team’s choice may reflect how negotiations are going in other areas. Livingston has a $2MM guarantee on his $7,692,308 deal and could be a welcome source of savings for a team that’s already well over the cap with Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both heading toward free agency and Draymond Green eligible for an extension. Livingston will turn 33 next week and it could be an easy decision if his game declines this season.
  • Damian Jones is the best bet to start at center when the season begins. Jordan Bell is the most talented candidate and will probably inherit the job once DeMarcus Cousins leaves in free agency, while Kevon Looney‘s reliable defense puts him in the discussion. Slater expects Jones to win the job unless he has an awful preseason, with Bell eventually taking over until Cousins is healthy enough to return in January or February.
  • Durant hasn’t made any decisions about his future, but he may be looking for a long-term deal next summer. The Warriors will have his full Bird Rights for the first time since he joined the organization and he may want security at age 31, whether that means a five-year contract with Golden State or a four-year deal elsewhere.
  • Coach Steve Kerr was able to make it through last season without major health issues, but the pain resulting from his back surgery hasn’t gone away. Kerr had to take two leaves of absences in the wake of the operation, but his recent contract extension is a sign that the issue is under control.

Pacific Notes: Mykhailiuk, Warriors, Gallinari, Kings

The Lakers were “terrified” that Kansas sharpshooter Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk would be gone before they could draft him in the second round, owner Jeanie Buss tells Mike Trudell of NBA.com. L.A. acquired the 39th pick from the Sixers, but opted for German guard Isaac Bonga at that spot. Mykhailiuk was still on the board when they picked again at No. 47.

“We felt like he was basically a first-round talent,” Buss said. “We were surprised he was there at 39, and much more surprised he was there at 47.”

Mykhailiuk showed why the Lakers value him so highly with his performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 16.6 PPG in seven games and earning second team all-league honors. The Lakers signed him to a three-year deal last month worth about $4.6MM.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Warriors have several options if they can’t reach a deal with restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State made a $1.74MM qualifying offer in June that now can’t be pulled without McCaw’s consent. If the second-year shooting guard finds a better deal elsewhere and the Warriors choose not to match, Poole outlines the team’s alternatives, which include re-signing veteran guard Nick Young. Other possibilities are Corey Brewer, Jamal Crawford, Josh Huestis or if he can get medical clearance, Chris Bosh.
  • Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari looked good in the NBA Africa Game, but he won’t be playing for Italy in a pair of upcoming FIBA qualifying contests, tweets Italian journalist Davide Chinellato. “After consulting with the Clippers, medical staff and my agent, the conclusion has been made that it is best to stay in the U.S. in preparation for the upcoming NBA season, rather than participate in these international games,” said Gallinari, who finished last season with a fractured right hand. “I am excited to take on a leadership role with this team and to have a strong start going into training camp.”
  • Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley III could give the Kings a pair of contenders for Rookie of the Year honors, notes Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee. No Sacramento rookie has claimed the trophy since Tyreke Evans in 2010.

Patrick McCaw Likely To Accept Qualifying Offer?

Patrick McCaw is one of just two restricted free agents left on the market, and his free agency is expected to end with him accepting his qualifying offer to return to the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Because he only has two years of NBA experience, McCaw was eligible for restricted free agency this offseason and the Warriors made him an RFA by issuing a qualifying offer worth approximately $1.71MM. While that offer gives Golden State the right of first refusal in the event that McCaw agrees to an offer sheet with another team, it also serves as a one-year contract offer the shooting guard can sign outright.

Assuming McCaw signs that QO, he’d put himself on track to reach free agency again in 2019. Unlike players coming off rookie scale contracts, who become unrestricted free agents a year after accepting a qualifying offer, McCaw would be eligible for restricted free agency again next season, since he’d still have just three years of NBA experience under his belt.

Still, McCaw would receive one notable benefit from signing his qualifying offer — since he’d be re-signing on a one-year deal and would have Bird rights at the end of his contract, he’d have the ability to block any attempts to trade him during the 2018/19 league year.

McCaw, 22, had a promising rookie season in 2016/17 for the Warriors, but took a step backward last season and battled multiple injuries. In 57 games (16.9 MPG), he averaged just 4.0 PPG on .409/.238/.765 shooting. Golden State still views him as a promising – and inexpensive – young prospect with the ability to bounce back in 2018/19, however.

Besides McCaw, Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood is the only other restricted free agent who still has a standard NBA qualifying offer on the table.

Warriors Extend Qualifying Offer To Patrick McCaw

The Warriors have extended a qualifying offer to swingman Patrick McCaw, per Chris Haynes of ESPN, putting McCaw on track for restricted free agency come July 1.

McCaw’s qualifying offer is worth $1.7MM, calculated by adding $200K to his projected minimum salary for the upcoming 2018/19 season.

Given McCaw’s recent injury and an all-around difficult 2017/18 campaign, it will be interesting to see whether the Warriors are interested in discussing a larger contract for McCaw moving forward and/or whether McCaw will garner any interest from other teams around the league.

McCaw, 22, only averaged 4.o points per game in 57 games with Golden State this past season, with a relatively pedestrian shooting line of .503/.238/.765.

Warriors Notes: NBA Title, McCaw, Cook, Draft

Despite outside appearances, the Warriors didn’t have an easy time collecting their third NBA championship in four years, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Spears outlines injuries, complacency and other issues that affected Golden State during its title run and sheds more light on comments made by David West, who said after Game 4, “There were some things internally. … It’s a testament to the type of people these guys are, how tied we were as a group and then we were able to win it.”

Four key players, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Patrick McCaw and Andre Iguodala, had to overcome injuries at some point in the postseason, and Draymond Green said the team’s fragile physical condition provided incentive to sweep the Finals before anyone else got hurt. Spears notes that the team also had to deal with the distractions of a dispute with President Trump, a pre-season trip to China and focus issues that resulted in the league’s third-best record despite a wealth of talent.

“Maybe it looked easy to you, but it was hard,” GM Bob Myers said. “… We had never been a two seed. We had to win a Game 7 on the road. We had some injuries. Just the wear and tear of trying to do it four [straight] times in the Finals. But they stepped up at the end. The players got it done. It was a credit to them.”

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

  • This year’s championship was especially meaningful to McCaw and Quinn Cook, who were both in tears after Friday’s victory, Spears adds. There were concerns that McCaw might not walk again after a violent fall in a March 31 game that resulted in a lumbar spinal contusion. McCaw vowed to return and made it back for Game 6 of the conference semifinals. Cook, who was waived by the Hawks in training camp, signed a two-way contract with the Warriors and earned a full NBA deal just before the playoffs.
  • Golden State isn’t concerned about keeping its core together, but the team would like to add some younger players during the offseason, relays Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “We just have to be always moving forward to try to improve our team,” owner Joe Lacob said. “So I actually think this draft is a very important one for us. We need to get some youth on the team going forward. So we’re paying significant attention to it, and I am, too. Probably more than any other year.
  • The Warriors were able to build an elite roster because players were willing to accept less than their market value, notes Scott Stinson of The National Post. Curry had a team-friendly contract for years before his latest extension, and Kevin Durant played for $25MM this season.

Warriors Notes: Iguodala, McCaw, Green, Young

The bone bruise on Andre Iguodala‘s left knee is healing more slowly than the Warriors had hoped and he appears to be a long shot to play in Game 7, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Iguodala was declared out shortly before Game 6 and is officially listed as day-to-day, but coach Steve Kerr is pessimistic about his chances to return.

“We’re operating under the assumption he won’t play,” Kerr said.

Losing Iguodala has left the Warriors scrambling to find a fifth player to pair with their four All-Stars. Of the contenders, rookie Jordan Bell had the best plus/minus rating in Game 6 at +10, but he’s slow to react defensively and remains jumpy and prone to foul trouble, Slater writes. Kevon Looney has been starting in Iguodala’s absence, but the Rockets are scoring on him regularly and he doesn’t provide much offense. Shaun Livingston has looked best in that role, but Kerr prefers to limit him to 15 minutes per game.

There’s more Warriors news to pass along this morning:

  • Saturday’s blowout allowed Patrick McCaw to see four minutes of action at the end of the game, Slater notes in the same story. McCaw, who missed nearly two full months after a frightening fall, was activated before Game 6. Slater suggests he could work his way into a larger role if the Warriors reach the NBA Finals. “Coach Kerr pulled me aside today and just [asked] me, how would I feel being active and suiting up and if we get up big to play three or four minutes at the end of the game,” McCaw said. “… I called my mom. I called my dad, let them know I would be putting my uniform on tonight.”
  • Two years ago, Draymond Green was convinced he was about to be traded following a heated clash with Kerr, writes Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. However, Kerr denies the team ever considered such a move. “This guy is the best at what he does in the entire league,” he said. “At that point, he had already helped us win a title, and he’s in the prime of his career. Like, what are we talking about? The ‘Draymond problem’ wasn’t really that big of a problem. It was just: Can we help him channel his emotion and his energy in the right direction?'”
  • Nick Young provided an unusual explanation for his defensive improvement in Game 6, relays Jace Evans of USA Today, saying former NBA star Dennis Rodman visited him in a dream. “He had the purple hair, all kinds of stuff,” Young said. “He told me, ‘Tomorrow you’re going to play a little defense,’ and I was like, ‘Nah that’s not my game, Dennis Rodman, why you in my dream?’ But it just so happened I played a little defense.”

Andre Iguodala Out For Game 6

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will miss his third straight game tonight, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed the decision, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Until he’s able to run without pain, I can’t play him,” Kerr told reporters at a pre-game press conference, adding that Iguodala’s status remains day-to-day.

The 34-year-old is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered when he bumped knees with James Harden in Game 3. The Rockets have won both games that Iguodala has missed and have a chance to close out the series tonight.

Kevon Looney, who has started the past two games in Iguodala’s absence, will likely get a starting assignment again tonight. Patrick McCaw was activated earlier today after missing nearly two months, but Kerr isn’t sure whether he will play, acknowledging that it’s a “tough” situation.

Iguodala was a valuable contributor before the injury, averaging 7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.4 SPG in the playoffs and starting 12 of the 13 games in which he has appeared. He is an important component of the “Hamptons Five” lineup that makes Golden State so difficult to match up with.

Patrick McCaw To Be Activated For Game 6

2:38pm: Both McCaw and Iguodala are officially listed as questionable for tonight’s Game 6, per Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

1:36pm: The Warriors are planning to activate Patrick McCaw for Game 6 tonight against the Rockets, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. It would be the first time McCaw has played since he injured his back in a scary fall on March 31.

The Warriors have lost both games against the Rockets since Andre Iguodala injured his left leg in Game 3, and Iguodala remains questionable for Game 6, so perhaps Golden State is hoping McCaw will be able to mimic some of Iguodala’s talents should he still not be ready to go.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic reminds us that McCaw had trouble walking and sleeping for about a month after his injury, and that recovery was slow at first, meaning it’d be a monumental ask for the Warriors to expect too much out of McCaw in his first game back.

Before his injury, McCaw was averaging 4.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

Patrick McCaw May Return During Postseason

When Patrick McCaw suffered a scary fall and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher near the end of the regular season, it looked like his year might be over. However, McCaw continues to make progress in his injury recovery and is on track for a possible return during the postseason, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

As Charania details, McCaw was able to do non-contact drills at practice for consecutive days. Now, on Monday night, he’s expected to go through his first on-court pregame workout since his March 31 fall.

McCaw, who is dealing with a lumbosacral bone bruise, began modified shooting and running drills earlier this month, with the Warriors indicating on May 3 that he’d be re-evaluated in four weeks. It’s not clear if the second-year guard will be ready to return to action at that four-week mark, but if he is, he could suit up for the Dubs in the NBA Finals — assuming they can get past the Rockets.

The Western Conference Finals, which get underway tonight, are scheduled to run through May 28 if they go seven games, so McCaw is unlikely to get back on the court by the end of the series.

Patrick McCaw Cleared For Shooting, Running Drills

Warriors guard Patrick McCaw was re-evaluated today and results indicated he has made functional progress after suffering a lumbosacral bone bruise, according to the team’s public relations department. McCaw has been cleared to begin modified shooting and running drills and he will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

This could effectively end McCaw’s 2017/18 season unless the Warriors advance to the NBA Finals and McCaw’s next re-evaluation reveals that he’s close to a return.

McCaw was stretchered off the court after he suffered a dangerous fall in a game against the Kings last month. The injury shook up both the Warriors and Kings, specifically veteran Vince Carter, who was part of the play that led to the injury. Luckily, McCaw walked away without any permanent or serious injury and will resume his playing career.

Before the injury, the second-year guard was averaging 4.0 PPG and 1.4 APG in 57 games (10 starts) for Golden State.