The ending of Foyle's 10-year tenure with the Warriors marks the ending of the pre-Nelson Mullin era. It's refreshing, and in some cases, difficult, to see Mullin correcting his past mistakes by removing huge contracts. Foyle is the very last one of such contracts, outlasting Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and most recently, Jason Richardson.
Despite his shortcomings in Nellie's system, I'll miss Foyle as a person. In a modern sports world where money is one of the most important, if not predominant, aspects, he is the antithesis to it all. He's a thoughtful and well-spoken guy, with other concerns beyond lining his pockets.
Throughout his 10 years, which were all in the Dark Ages of Warriors basketball, he stuck with the team and rarely complained. I'm happy that he was finally rewarded with the playoffs for his loyalty. I wish him the best elsewhere, and when it's all said and done, hope that he returns to the Bay
So where does that leave the Warriors? In a significantly better position to do more player-wise than a day ago. Here are some options that have opened up with Foyle's buyout:
- A Pietrus sign-and-trade is looking more likely. The $3 million from the buyout could help the Warriors land either Jason Williams or Udonis Haslem from the Heat. Reports came out a few days ago that even with the Penny Hardaway signing, the Heat were still interested in Pietrus.
- A combination of the $10 million TPE from the JRich trade and the $3 million from the buyout could result in the signing of a big-name player. AK47's name has been floating around Warriors forums and has been a target for some fans. Coincidentally, Kirilenko also makes $13 million this season... Other names could include JO, Artest, perhaps even Kobe.
- The $3 million would help with extending Monta and Andris' contracts. Before the buyout, extensions for both were looking unlikely, especially if the Warriors added another player, but now there is more leeway.
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