The Memphis Grizzlies are adding a center – and the Golden State Warriors are moving on. Quinten Post agreed to a three-year, $30 million offer sheet with Memphis, and the Warriors made their decision: no match. Post heads to Tennessee after two seasons in San Francisco, per ESPN and NBA.com.
A deal built to be declined
Memphis structured the offer sheet with purpose. Only Year 1 is guaranteed at $9 million, but the Grizzlies added $1.35 million in unlikely incentives that count against apron calculations. For a Warriors team navigating the second-apron threshold, those incentives made matching an expensive proposition on multiple levels. Golden State cleared the path – and Post is officially a Grizzly.
Post spent two seasons in San Francisco, breaking into the rotation as a rookie and showing enough to attract legitimate interest. Memphis, in full rebuild mode after trading Ja Morant to Portland this offseason, needed a young center who can space the floor and operate in pick-and-roll situations. Post fits that profile.
What it means for Golden State
By passing on Post, the Warriors preserved salary room they’re directing toward LeBron James. The four-time MVP remains the largest unsigned free agent in the league. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported this week that James may already have his destination in mind, with Cleveland appearing most likely – but Golden State is keeping every option open with each roster decision it makes.
The Post departure follows the Warriors missing out on Rui Hachimura, who chose the Clippers earlier this week. Two misses in a short window, both rooted in the same calculation: sacrifice roster depth now for a chance at one transformative signing. If LeBron picks someone else, this will be a difficult offseason to explain.
Memphis’s next chapter
For the Grizzlies, it’s a low-risk move with genuine upside. At roughly $10 million per season, Post gives them a floor-spacing center who can complement their emerging core – a group headlined by No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer, who impressed in his summer league debut this week with 23 points and six rebounds in a 97-96 win over the Bulls. Memphis is building patiently. Post gives them a tool that fits.
per ESPN | per Hoops Rumors
