Mike Dunleavy surprisingly cites Warriors having depth at center after Dwight Howard talks fail

The Golden State Warriors are no longer interested in signing big man Dwight Howard. The former Laker and Magic star was rumored to join the team after working out with Draymond Green and other Warriors. Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy recently said the team has too much depth at center to sign Howard.

Dunleavy made the comments while appearing on “The Athletic NBA Show,” hosted by Anthony Slater and Sam Amick. The explanation is a bit surprising as the Warriors are known for their lineups that often lack a center.

“We have five guys that can give us minutes at the five position,” Dunleavy said.

Although not all NBA fans would agree that the Warriors are five deep at the center position, it seems the organization is happy where it stands. Dunleavy seems to reference Kevon Looney, Green, Jonathan Kuminga and two younger players as the five. It seems the Warriors are focused on the younger bigs.

“I think through camp we want to make sure everyone gets the appropriate amount of reps,” Dunleavy said. “Trayce Jackson-Davis, who we drafted in the second round, we want him to get some reps.”

Jackson-Davis seems to be poised for real minutes in the rotation. Golden State also signed Usman Garuba to a two-way deal. The Spaniard played well for his home nation at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Golden State will not sign Howard. However, it still has a roster spot open and it seems like the team is open to potentially adding another player.

“We will keep flexibility open,” Dunleavy said.

Dunleavy said they will prioritize the flexibility over a specific position, when the requirement arises. Howard meanwhile may be out of luck as he searches for an NBA return. He played last season overseas in Taiwan.

How will Golden State Warriors look next season?

The Warriors made a big change by trading for Chris Paul this offseason. The move was interesting as Paul is an older point guard who operates better with the ball in his hands.

Paul also has a tumultuous history with Draymond Green. The two say it is all water under the bridge and have reportedly worked out together this offseason.

It will be interesting to see how Paul and Steph Curry operate on the floor at the same time. Curry can also be ball dominant sometimes. However, he is much better off the ball than Paul. It will be interesting to see if Paul gets in the way of Curry’s off ball movement.

The team will be chasing a championship as it is one of the older teams in the league. It signed veterans Dario Saric and Cory Joseph to bolster its bench. It will also hope for a return of production from Andrew Wiggins, who missed a huge chunk of last season due to personal reasons.