(Photo: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
Andre Miller Warriors trade/acquisition rumor, per Yahoo Sports:
The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings are intrigued with the possibility of acquiringsuspended Denver Nuggets point guard Andre Miller, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Denver Nuggets backup guard Andre Miller was recently suspended by the team for a verbal altercation with head coach, Brian Shaw.
Reports indicate the argument was over minutes and role with the team. Miller’s minutes have steadily gone down to the lowest of his career, and new addition and former Warrior Nate Robinson has subplanted him as the team’s main backup point guard.
It’s no secret the Warriors have been interested in adding an additional playmaker to solidify the bench.
Backups Toney Douglas and Kent Bazemore are more defensive-minded players who have struggled to effectively initiate the offense.
Meanwhile, rookie Nemanja Nedovic still has not adjusted to the NBA after playing in Europe.
With Miller having issues in Denver, there is a possibility the Warriors can acquire him without breaking up the core of this team.
What does Andre Miller bring?
At 37 years of age, Miller is about as crafty as it gets. He’s not fast, can’t really jump or even shoot that well from deep, but is incredibly intelligent.
He’s a classic point guard, who for the duration of his career has averaged 7.6 assists per 36 minutes. For reference, Douglas has never topped 5 assists per 36 minutes in a season and is currently at 2.9.
Per +/- via basketball-reference.com, Miller’s had a positive impact on his team’s offense every season this last decade except for 2007-08. He does a good job of spreading the ball, finding the open man and setting up the offense.
For the Warriors, adding a competent playmaker to the bench could be exactly what they need to get going.
The Warriors best bench scorer, Harrison Barnes, has struggled as of late and is not at a point where he’s consistently effective at creating his own offense. However, he has proven an effective scorer when playing with point guards who can set him up.
What would Miller cost?
The Warriors do have multiple TPE’s (Trade Player Exceptions) acquired from the trades of Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson.
The TPEs allow the Warriors to acquire a player of a certain contractual value without giving up anything other than TPE and draft picks or cash in return.
It’s a way for a team to dump a player they don’t want for whatever reason.
In using the TPE for Miller, Denver would save the remainder of Miller’s $5 million contract, pro-rated depending how many games left to be played, and the $2 million he’s guaranteed next year. Miller has a team-option contract for $4.5 million next season. Even if he’s cut he receives $2 million of that.
If Denver is not interested in the TPE, the Warriors would likely have to pair two of their bench players together to add up his contract value. Combinations such as Jermaine O’Neal and Nedovic.
Is it worth it for the Warriors to give up Nedovic, Ognjen Kuzmic or Bazemore’s future potential for immediate help in Miller?
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