The Warriors seem to have a type when it comes to backup centers. An intriguing interior presence from Vanderbilt is just way too strong of an allure for the Warriors to pass up.
With the signing of Kevin Durant this offseason, the salary cap implications were such that the Warriors would basically have to forfeit the rights to their own free agents if they weren’t willing to accept the league minimum to stick around.
Festus Ezeli had shown enough ability over the course of his career that for him to accept those terms seemed profoundly unrealistic.
There had been buzz around the league that he could be a starter elsewhere, and while it doesn’t look like he has that guarantee in Portland, he’s getting over $7 million per year from them.