18. Festus Ezeli, Golden State Warriors (Restricted)
Obviously anyone who is possibly coming off the books for the Golden State Warriors is going to garner quite a bit of interest around the league. Teams want to bring in players who come from winning cultures and have the right mentality about them, which is something that the Warriors have been breeding over the past few years. All of that mixed with the fact that he’s shown flashes of real brilliance throughout his career make Festus Ezeli a super intriguing free agent this summer.
Though he’s one of many players in this free agent class that has had trouble staying on the floor on a consistent basis, Ezeli has shown that he can be highly productive when he’s on the floor. For a guy with his size and strength, he’s mobile and skilled on both ends of the floor and can really do a lot of things well that most players with his frame wouldn’t be able to do.
However, Ezeli’s free agency is obviously complicated for a number of reason. For one, no one really knows if he can be a No. 1 option at center in this league. Secondly, there’s the health concerns that have always been there with him. And lastly, there’s the fact that he’s just a restricted free agent and the Warriors could match any offer that he signs this offseason. So even if the Lakers are intrigued and try to sign him, it just doesn’t feel like an ideal match—even at a position of need.
Next: No. 17 Noah