Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa is closing in on a deal with the Golden State Warriors, reports Marc Stein of ESPN. He has agreed to sign a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal.
The Miami Heat also had interest in the ‘Brazilian Blur’ but on Wednesday afternoon, they moved forward with Shannon Brown.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have been adamant to add more backcourt depth. Earlier in the summer, Golden State’s reserve point guard, Nemanja Nedovic, fractured his foot and will be sidelined for a few more months, at the very least.
In spite of the news, the Warriors signed Aaron Craft to a partially guaranteed deal to join Shaun Livingston - who is also injured but expected to be back on opening night - in their backcourt. However, Barbosa adds a totally different dynamic to the Warriors’ bench. He has terrific quickness, which he uses to get to the rim, along with a sweet shooting touch.
Barbosa, 31, will provide veteran leadership as well. He averaged 7.5 points in 18.4 minutes per game last season with the Phoenix Suns. He will soon partake in the upcoming FIBA World Cup tournament and will represent his hometown of Brazil.
Leandro Barbosa is expected to officially sign his contract with the Golden State Warriors in the following days.