NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors interested in signing former Rookie of the Year

Steve Kerr and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Steve Kerr and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have struggled since the NBA All-Star break and are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. The absence of Draymond Green has been felt by the Dubs, but the latest rumors suggest that the team is interested in bringing reinforcements in the form of a former Rookie of the Year.

According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors have invited 2010 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans for a second round of workouts. Evans worked out for the Warriors last week in Miami, but was invited to the Bay for the team to take a second look.

Tyreke Evans last played in the NBA in 2019 as he was banned from the league for violating the Anti-Drug Program. Evans applied for reinstation last year and officially became a free agent on February 14th. As well as the Golden State Warriors, Evans also worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks after he was reinstated.

The 32-year-old veteran won Rookie of the Year over players such as Steph Curry, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday. Evans last played for the Indiana Pacers before his banishment.


Why are the Golden State Warriors interested in Tyreke Evans?

Tyreke Evans playing for the Indiana Pacers in 2019.
Tyreke Evans playing for the Indiana Pacers in 2019.

Some of the reasons why the Golden State Warriors are considering adding Tyreke Evans to their roster is because of his playmaking and ballhandling. Evans is a big guard who can make plays for himself and his teammates. It's one of the reasons he won Rookie of the Year while carving out a solid NBA career.

The Warriors have been looking for a playmaker since the offseason, with them being linked to Goran Dragic a couple of weeks ago. However, Evans has not played in almost three years and is already on the decline.

As pointed out by Anthony Slater, the Golden State Warriors were previously interested in signing Tyreke Evans back in 2018. The Warriors tried to sign him with their mid-level exception, but he went on to sign for the Pacers. Golden State would then go on to sign his former teammate, DeMarcus Cousins.

Evans also has a form of relationship with Warriors general manager Bob Myers. He was a client of Myers before he went on to become a front office executive. The Memphis product was present in Golden State's win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday. He sat beside Myers and assistant GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.

The Golden State Warriors have been missing Draymond Green's playmaking and defense. His absence has put a lot of pressure on Steph Curry, who has served as the team's primary playmaker. Adding another guard like Evans would lessen the burden on Curry, and give Green more time to get his legs under him as he returns from a spinal injury early next week.

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Edited by Parimal