Golden State Warriors backup center Festus Ezeli should have plenty of suitors in NBA free agency this summer, but one interested team has already made itself known.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who just hired away Warriors assistant Luke Walton, is interested in bringing on the athletic big man, according to a Sporting News source. The report also speculated that Ezeli could earn up to $50 million on a three-year deal.
The pairing would make sense given that Ezeli enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career -- averaging almost nine points and six rebounds from November to December -- while Walton was serving as interim coach of the reigning NBA champions. The rim protector would also make a good frontcourt-mate to Julius Randle, who is more offensively inclined.
The Nigerian-born center has played sparingly for the Warriors in the postseason, cedeing minutes to backup center Anderson Varejao, but recently made headlines for his inspired fourth-quarter play in a Game 2 comeback win over the Portland Trail Blazers. In 13 total minutes, Ezeli but up eight points, six rebounds and one block.
While the Warriors would surely love to have Ezeli -- a first-round pick of theirs in the 2012 draft -- back for the long haul, they are going to have a tough time staying under the salary cap with Harrison Barnes also up for a new contract. In a perfect world, they would sign both to multi-year deals, but that might be too hefty a sum for the front office to fork up.
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