When Warriors general manager Bob Myers meets assembled media Wednesday, he will close the book on David Lee, riff on a few particulars of the deal that sent him to Boston and maybe, just maybe, welcome Gerald Wallace to the Bay Area.
Don’t bet on the latter, at least not yet.
There are no plans to introduce Wallace on Wednesday and there is no plan for a dedicated news conference in the coming weeks. There are no assurances for Wallace, who would be joining a deep roster coming off an NBA Championship.
Wallace, acquired primarily for salary-cap relief, might never join the Warriors.
One factor: The 33-year-old small forward has endured a lot of injuries over his 14 seasons. His left knee and left ankle underwent arthroscopic surgery 16 months ago and he has not been the same player. Wallace knows it, which is why he entered the offseason contemplating retirement.
"Hopefully, I'll reflect going into the last year of my deal," he told the Boston Globe in March. "This is my (14th) year. You kind of sit back and look at your career and all you've done and kind of just evaluate your past and try to set up for your future and see what you want to do. That’s the time I'll do it, in the offseason."
Halfway through the offseason, we’ve heard not a peep from Wallace. All we know for sure is that he and the $10.1 million remaining on his contract were officially traded, along with guard Chris Babb, to the Warriors this week for Lee.
The Warriors aren’t saying much about Wallace either.
To be sure, Wallace is at a stage of his career similar to that of Jermaine O’Neal two years ago. O’Neal gutted out one final season, with the Warriors, and walked away. Like O’Neal last summer, Wallace also could make a family decision.
“I would love to continue to play, but it’s more about my family and my kids,” he told the Globe. “. . . My kids are getting older. They’re starting to play high school sports now. It depends on if they’re comfortable with me still playing or they’re ready for me to come home and be part of their lives.”
Another factor: The Warriors aren’t sure Wallace has much to offer. It’s safe to presume they privately hope he’s finished and decides to retire. That would, as I understand it, allow the Warriors and Wallace to negotiate a buyout, which would save them even more money.
If Wallace wants to play, is able – and the coaching staff determines he’s also capable of being productive – he might be in uniform opening night.
If Wallace wants to play but the Warriors don’t like what they see, the team will explore its options for Wallace.
Once among the NBA’s most athletic players, running the court like a cheetah and soaring high for acrobatic dunks, Wallace has been diminished by age and injuries, his skills falling from the frequently spectacular to the occasionally exceptional.
Wallace played sparingly last season, missing 50 games. Only once since 2011-12 has he played in more than 80 percent of his team’s games.
Understand, the Warriors made this deal primarily for financial reasons. It allowed them to swap Lee’s $15.5 million salary for one $5.4 million cheaper, thereby easing, by roughly a third their luxury tax burden.
The Warriors imply things are fluid with Wallace. Maybe he’ll join them, maybe he won’t. It’s up to him. It’s to them.
One thing is certain: This is no time to introduce Wallace as a new and significant member of the team.
