For the first eight seasons of his career, as he bounced between four different teams, JaVale McGee vacillated between an intriguing prospect and disappointing waste of potential. A 7-footer with all the athleticism in the world, McGee seemed capable of being the next big thing, and he had his moments to be sure, but he was never able to put everything together.
In fact, after playing just 23 games in the 2014-15 season between Denver and Philadelphia, and then 34 with Dallas in 2015-16, it seemed as though McGee might be on his way out of the league. That's when the Warriors stepped in, however, and brought in McGee on a one-year deal.
Not asked to do much more than run the floor in transition and dive to the rim for lobs, McGee had a bounce-back season with Golden State, helping the team reclaim the NBA championship. In the postseason, McGee averaged six points, three rebounds and one block in just over nine minutes per game.
On the strength of that campaign, McGee is now drawing interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the two sides are set to meet on Wednesday. Additionally, McGee is still in contact with the Warriors about potentially returning to the Bay Area.
Free agent JaVale McGee has a meeting set with Clippers today, sources tell ESPN. He's remained engaged with Warriors on return there.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2017
McGee is never going to be a star at this point, but as he showed last season with the Warriors, he can be effective in limited minutes by bringing energy off the bench. His length, athleticism and willingness to run are all useful traits with the direction the game is moving in.
