After ranking 16th in offensive rating during the regular season, the Golden State Warriors should be prioritizing that end of the floor as they head into free agency and potential trade moves.

The Warriors need for more scoring off the bench and more shooting in the front court could lead them to a veteran big man, with Bobby Portis the latest to be linked to the franchise this offseason.

The Warriors could show free agency interest in Bobby Portis

Portis has become a staple of the Milwaukee Bucks organization, finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting twice and winning a championship with the franchise in 2021. However, the 30-year-old does have the capacity to leave the Bucks this offseason, with Portis holding a $13.4 million that he could opt out of to become an unrestricted free agent.

If Portis does indeed opt out, then Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports the Warriors as a team to monitor given his ties with franchise head coach Steve Kerr stemming from their Team USA days together.

“Golden State has always been a team to monitor for Portis, who has a notable fan in head coach Steve Kerr from their shared days during the 2023 FIBA World Cup competition with USA Basketball,” Fischer wrote on Wednesday.

Portis wouldn’t necessarily be the starting-caliber center that Golden State may need, but he’d nevertheless provide more spacing from the 4/5 positions that could prove incredibly valuable.

The 6’10” big man has been a consistent force for the Bucks, averaging at least 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in each of the past four years. Portis is also a career 38.3% 3-point shooter, including drilling a career-high 40.7% on three attempts per game last season.

Portis is much more of a question mark on the defensive side of the ball, potentially limiting him from playing regularly in closing lineups or in the biggest moments of games. On the other hand, Draymond Green’s presence could eliminate some of those issues, while Portis’ minutes have actually gone up in each of the last two postseasons.

Whether the Warriors could actually realistically sign Portis in free agency is questionable and may be determined by the future of Jonathan Kuminga. Alternatively, Golden State’s easiest path may be a sign-and-trade involving Moses Moody or Buddy Hield and some smaller contracts.

The Warriors could also explore interest in a more certified seven-foot Bucks big man in Brook Lopez, with Fischer reporting that “both players (Portis and Lopez) are expected to generate plenty of external interest” in free agency.