Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. isn’t under any immediate pressure to bolster the roster’s size after signing Dario “ari” in free agency over the weekend.
Although he made it clear that Golden State favors fit and feel over a player’s height, he isn’t fully dismissing the idea.
At the NBA Summer League on Monday in Las Vegas, Dunleavy told reporters, “I don’t think there’s any glaring needs to address.” However, there are a few things we can add in to increase the margins.
But overall, I’m content with the situation.
Ari will now be the tallest player on the Warriors’ roster at 6-foot-10, followed by 6-foot-9 rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis and 6-foot-9 veteran center Kevon Looney.
The team has the option to acquire extra size by filling two of its available roster spots or one of its three two-way contracts. Dunleavy said Golden State wouldn’t be adding big merely for the sake of adding size, but he is open to adding taller depth at center.
We need to be careful with how we play and how the league operates, Dunleavy said. “There’s like five open spots, and if we fill three or four of them, yeah, I’d think we’d add some size,” he said.
“You can’t just bring in a tall person; you need to have skill, feel, and knowledge of how to play. Over the past few years, I believe we’ve learnt that. Although height and length are always priorities for us, the better players are taller and longer.
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Ari has spent the majority of his career as a power forward, but with Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s style, he is expected to play the small-ball center position.
The big man joins the likes of Jonas Jerebko (2018), Omari Spellman (2019), Otto Porter Jr. (2021), and JaMychal Green from last season as Golden State’s most recent one-year summer acquisitions to be assigned to such a position.
The Warriors are hopeful that ‘ari’ can contribute off the bench and lead them back to NBA Finals glory, just as the 6-foot-8 Porter did. Their tallest player during their 2022 run was Nemanja Bjelica, who was 6-foot-10.
We’ll have to wait and watch if someone even greater helps Golden State win the championship this next season.
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