The Warriors are bad. Maybe they didn’t seem so bad this game, where they went on a huge Draymond Green-fueled run to crush the Cavaliers, but they’re bad. But in the NBA, bad teams are afforded a luxury that good teams are not: they can do whatever they want with their roster and no one can really call them on it. Good teams have to be careful with any changes they make; bad teams can shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic with impunity.
They seem to still be doing at least okay in terms of fan engagement, better than your run-of-the-mill worst-team-in-the-entire-league, but there’s no question that things are not as hopping as they have been for the past few years. So why not drum up some extra excitement by bringing back Warriors legends of the past on 10-day contracts so they can relive the magic one last time?
First candidate: David Lee! Damion Lee is and always will be way better because he’s not a softy no-defense goofball, but David Lee was a cherished part of those pre-dynasty years where Stephen Curry was around but not yet transcendent. There are probably at least a dozen OG fans who remember him on the Warriors, and those dozen fans would be really hyped to see him suit up in the blue and gold once again.
He’s only 36, by the way, so this isn’t even that unreasonable. What would really be unreasonable is if they signed the other David Lee, who last played in 1969 in the ABA and is 77 years old. That dude did play for the Oakland Oaks (who comes up with these ABA team names??????) though, so if they wanted to, I don’t think anyone would say no. It’s not like the Warriors can lose more than they currently are.