The Golden State Warriors are yet to make a single move in free agency, but they may have been gifted another worthy signing this week thanks to one of the worst teams in the league.
The Charlotte Hornets have waived defensive wing Josh Okogie after failing to find a trade partner for the 26-year-old before his $7.7 million contract for next season became fully guaranteed. As a result, Okogie now hits the free agency market where he could provide the Warriors with a younger and arguably better alternative to Gary Payton II.
Josh Okogie could be the ideal Gary Payton II replacement
Payton remains an unrestricted free agent himself, having not signed a deal with Golden State or elsewhere since the period opened over two weeks ago. Perhaps the 32-year-old is just waiting for the Warriors to resolve Jonathan Kuminga’s future before re-signing with the franchise, but there’s also a chance that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are prepared to move on from Payton as they did with fellow beloved veteran Kevon Looney.
Okogie could be a slightly bigger version of Payton in the Warrior system, providing them with the much needed perimeter and wing defense that they currently lack on a roster that still remains with only nine players.
Okogie has many of the same offensive limitations that Payton does, but could become a similarly smart cutter who can take advantage of the gravity of Stephen Curry and the playmaking of Jimmy Butler.
He’s never going to be fully respected as an outside shooter, but Okogie has made slight improvements in that area after shooting less than 30% from 3-point range through the first four years of his career. He’s shot north of 30% in each of the past three years, and most recently made a career-high 34.8% last season which included 38.1% in his 25 games with the Phoenix Suns.
In 40 games with the Suns and Hornets last season, Okogie averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. It’s the defensive end that could make him a real difference-maker, with the numbers from last season suggesting he’s a better option than Payton at this point despite playing for two lottery-bound teams.
Okogie kept opponents to less than 44% shooting from the floor last season, including a staggeringly low 17.7% on 3-pointers. In contrast, opponents shot 47.7% from the floor and 37.2% from beyond the arc when guarded by Payton.
Neither player may be a guaranteed piece in Steve Kerr’s rotation, and Payton does have the sentimental factor in his favor, but Okogie could be an upgrade that the Warriors look at now the Hornets have let him enter free agency.
