The Warriors re-sign JaVale McGee

The Warriors re-signed center JaVale McGee on Thursday afternoon, per Chris Haynes. He will occupy the last of the fifteen spots on the Warriors’ roster, which likely signals the end of their significant offseason moves.

What a difference a day makes!

On Wednesday, Imani Boyette, McGee’s younger sister who plays for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, stated in an interview with a Golden State of Mind writer that her brother had “no clue” about his contract situation.

The Warriors began the offseason with only five players under contract. With McGee’s return, the team retains twelve players from last year’s championship squad, essentially having replaced Ian Clark, Matt Barnes and James Michael McAdoo with Nick Young, Omri Casspi and Jordan Bell.

McGee was likely searching for more lucrative offers this offseason, but there simply was less money available than many hoped. He is re-signing for the minimum — the only type of contract the Warriors can offer.

McGee joins Zaza Pachulia, David West and Damian Jones in a crowded center rotation. With a resurgent season last year, McGee became a fan favorite for his high-flying dunks and all-around athleticism. He was also the league leader in per-minute plus-minus for much of the season.

Even during the playoffs, when many predicted he would not be able to produce due to the higher level of competition, McGee stayed in the rotation against every team other than the Cavaliers. He improved his defense and rebounding as the year went on as well.

Get ready for a whole lot more of this next season: