Six center options Warriors should consider in NBA offseason search for size

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Six center options Warriors should consider in NBA offseason search for size originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Now that summer is upon us, the smart money is betting Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and his front-office lieutenants will cook up something to add a dash of curiosity to training camp.
Consider the history. Dunleavy turned Jordan Poole into Chris Paul in the summer of 2023, and then basically flipped Klay Thompson for Buddy Hield last summer. That Dunleavy broke character at the 2025 trade deadline, making a seismic move to acquire Jimmy Butler III, raises the stakes this summer.
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'There's a lot of different ways we can go,' Dunleavy said Monday. 'We've got some free agents that are priorities. We've got to handle that. But some of that stuff may lead into trades and other things.'
The smart money also says Dunleavy will go big. Big names are a longshot, but big men are now essential to compete at the upper levels of the Western Conference.
And then there is the free-agent market, which Dunleavy says is the most likely route to a plug-and-play veteran in accordance with a core – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler – that will average 36.3 years of age when camp opens in September.
And remember, the Warriors have four first-round picks, next summer, to offer in trade.
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Here are six players, four potentially available vets and two in the draft, that are worthy of Golden State's consideration:
Veterans
Clint Capela (free agent): At age 31, the 6-foot-10 native of Switzerland has lost some of his bounce but remains a lob threat and one of the strongest rebounders in the league. The Warriors value Kevon Looney, but Capela is appreciably more athletic. He made $20.6 million last season with the Hawks, but likely understands he'll earn less at his next stop. How much of a pay cut would he accept?
Daniel Gafford (trade candidate): He's 26, a legit 6-foot-10, averaged two blocks per game over the past three seasons and is offensively efficient in the paint. As one of four big men under contract in Dallas – along with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell – there is a chance he moves. Rampant speculation has him landing with the Lakers. That would be a missed opportunity for the Warriors. Having reportedly agreed to a three-year extension worth $39 million over the weekend, he's a good value.
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Brook Lopez (free agent): At 7-foot-1, 280 pounds, he is an imposing paint presence on defense and an elite stretch-5 on offense. With the Bucks losing Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles' tendon, they likely will engage in roster reshuffling. Lopez, 37, is older than Butler and Green but 17 days younger than Curry, so that is cause for a bit of caution. He made $25 million last season. Would he accept a huge cut to finish his career in his home state?
Ben Simmons (free agent): He might be the league's worst finisher at the rim. Just awful. But hear me out. He's 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, still has some of his once-stunning athleticism and remains a strong, switchable defender. He entered the NBA in 2016 as a point guard but has transitioned to center, finishing last season as a backup to Ivica Zubac with the Clippers. If Simmons aches for a redemption season, he could be a good value.
Others
Myles Turner and Naz Reid are too costly and likely to re-sign with their current teams. Al Horford is interesting, but he loves Boston and, at age 39, probably will finish his career there. When scanning the middle tier and lower, the Warriors would be wise to remember the failed Willie Cauley-Stein experiment.
In the draft
Quality size is available in every draft, often in the second round, where the Warriors are holding the 41st overall pick. Consider a few big men selected in the second round and making an impact: Nikola Jokić (No. 41, 2014), Zubac (No. 32 in 2016), Isaiah Hartenstein (No. 43, 2017), Nic Claxton (No. 31, 2019) and Gafford (No. 38, 2019).
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Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State): A two-year starter, first at Northern Illinois and then as a junior with the Nittany Lions, the Switzerland native is a shade under 7 feet with plus athleticism who led the Big Ten in blocks in each of the last two seasons. He's 22 and still developing, but might be able to earn minutes as a change-of-pace rim runner and rim protector.
Amari Williams (Kentucky): A three-year starter – the first two at Drexel before finishing at Kentucky last season – who is not much of a shooter but brings something to both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, he's a good athlete whose impressive feel for the game is something the Warriors value. At age 23, he doesn't project as a future All-Star, but possesses enough desirable qualities to have a solid NBA career.
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