Patrick McCaw hasn’t played a single minute for the Golden State Warriors this year, but the team doesn’t seem to be prepared to part ways just yet.
The Warriors are still prepared to match any offer sheet extended by another team to the restricted free agent, sources are telling Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. McCaw has been holding out since the offseason, and hasn’t reported to the team in the hopes that someone will pay him more than the $1.7 million qualifying offer the Warriors would owe.
Golden State would have to renounce their rights to McCaw for him to become an unrestricted free agent, something he would welcome according to Haynes. Other teams are apparently interested in the No. 38 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, but have been hesitant to make an offer with the knowledge that the Warriors are likely to match.
McCaw’s holdout strategy appears to have backfired thus far. The surprising emergence of Alfonzo McKinnie as a reliable bench wing has largely mitigated the Warriors’ need to cave to McCaw’s wishes. McKinnie is actually having a better season than either of McCaw’s two uneven seasons with the Warriors.
In over 15 minutes per game, McKinnie is averaging six points and four rebounds while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. McCaw averaged four points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting under 30 percent from three in his two seasons with Golden State.