The latest news of the Warriors: Lillard is expected to join, pursue the championship center, Payton may leave the team again

Lillard may join the Warriors

Recently, well-known reporter Shams reported that in order to sign free agent Miles Turner, the Milwaukee Bucks used eye clauses to cut off All-Star guard Damian Lillard. Lillard was reimbursed this season due to a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs against the Pacers in April this year and is expected to return after the next All-Star holiday. According to a follow-up report by another reporter Marc Spears, several teams have expressed interest to Lillard, and the Warriors are seen as an important contender for Lillard, and the two sides have conducted in-depth discussions on joining.

Spears pointed out that Lillard has been a loyal fan of the Warriors since childhood and often watches games at the Oracle Arena. He not only publicly praised Warriors star Stephen Curry many times, but also showed his yearning for the Warriors. Although Lillard's injury may affect his form, he is still a guard who cannot be underestimated and can give the team significant support in scoring, outside shooting and scheduling. It can be seen that the Warriors have a great opportunity to become a new starting point for Lillard's career, and everyone is also looking forward to the combination of this top scorer Curry and Lillard to spark.

Fierce pursuit of champion center

According to American journalist Sam Amick, the Warriors have shown strong interest in free agent Al Horford and have begun active pursuits. Horford, 39, is 2.06 meters tall and weighs 110 kilograms. He is good at playing No. 4 and No. 5. He played in 1,138 regular season games in his career, averaging 12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He was also selected as the All-Star five times and helped the Celtics win the championship.

Although Horford has experienced some injuries and his condition has declined due to his age, he can still make significant contributions in his limited playing time. On the offensive end, he can cooperate with Curry and Butler to provide space; and at the defensive level, he can form effective assisted defense and frame protection with his rich experience, and the penalty area defense line formed with Green will be the opponent's nightmare. At present, excellent centers in the market are becoming increasingly scarce, and I hope the Warriors can successfully sign the champion center.

Peton II may leave the team again

According to the Warriors' reporter Monte Poole, the relationship between the Warriors and Payton II is in a delicate state. Payton Jr. is full of love for staying with the Warriors, but the team is only willing to offer a veteran's basic salary contract of about $3.3 million, which is far from Payton's expectations. Judging from the current development trend, Payton Jr. is likely to say goodbye to the Warriors again after 2022.

There is no doubt that Payton Jr. is one of the core of the Warriors' perimeter defense. His fighting spirit and attitude are loved by fans, and he helped the Warriors win the championship in the 2021-22 season. However, from the overall team's needs, Payton is shorter and has a single offensive method, so the Warriors are more inclined to find wing players who meet the size requirements and have stable offense and defense. In any case, I wish Peyton a successful find his ideal new owner.