Golden State Warriors center Marreese Speights. (Photo : Getty Images)
Recent rumors have emerged that Golden State Warriors backup center Marreese Speights is considering an exit from the defending champions this summer whether they win again the NBA title or not if another team will offer him a "high-dollar" deal.
The 28-year-old Speights is in the final year of his three-year, $10.9 million contract with the Warriors, which will make him an unrestricted free agent in July, alongside teammates Leandro Barbosa, Anderson Varejao, and Brandon Rush.
Restricted free agents from Golden State's roster this summer are Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Ian Clark, and James Michael McAdoo, which means that the club will be making very important decisions who among the eight players will they try to re-sign for next season.
ESPN noted that while Speights expressed his desire to remain with the defending champs, there is still a possibility that he may jump ship to another squad should he "receive a high-dollar deal from another team that exceeds a Warriors offer".
"Sometimes you think about it, but at the end of the day, you can't really control it. I try to only think about things I can control. But it's life. Sometimes you can't help it," said Speights the night before Game 1 of their 2016 NBA Finals match with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as per Morning News USA.
"It's been a hell of a lot of fun. I feel like I put myself in position on this team and in this city to make a name for myself and be one of the core guys who's been here. It would be best to be back here, but I understand it's a business. I'm going to give everything in these Finals, and after that, whatever happens happens," he added.
Those remarks just makes sense for the former Florida Gators standout as he had been one of the most reliable bench players in the recently concluded regular season.
Speights averaged 7.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in only 11.6 minutes per night for Golden State this season. In the playoffs, it was even lower at 3.7 points and 2.9 boards playing in 6.7 minutes a game.
However, he is providing the intangibles and additional scoring options off the bench for Steve Kerr's squad, making the rotation more fluid for the Bay Area boys.
