Willie Cauley-Stein couldn’t turn down the Warriors.
The 25-year-old center signed with Golden State shortly after he became an unrestricted free agent when the Kings rescinded his qualifying offer in early July. Cauley-Stein said the Warriors’ stars helped recruit him to the team. "Got the phone call and I just don’t know how you could turn that down," Cauley-Stein said, via NBC Sports Bay Area . "Talking to [coach] Steve [Kerr], Draymond [Green], Steph [Curry], they were all really excited. It was pretty easy on me."
Cauley-Stein said before 2018-19 he was “ready to get paid” this summer. But, his contract with the Warriors is reportedly worth about the veteran’s minimum of USD 1.7 million per season.
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"It honestly just came down to situation," Cauley-Stein said. "I know I had said something about getting paid at the beginning of the year. But by the end of it, it was no longer about getting paid. It was about staying secure and building off that security. … I think the Warriors are probably the best at doing that in the league. It was a really easy decision on me and my team’s part."
Cauley-Stein averaged 11.9 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Kings last season. He was originally selected by the team with the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft; however, Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac said in June that Cauley-Stein still needed to prove he can be consistent.
"I don’t really look at it like inconsistency," Cauley-Stein said. "Numbers don’t lie. I think it’s pretty cut and dry what consistency is. But I think it goes both ways. Being more vocal, I think that’s something as a professional you have to be really good at. You have to be able to speak your mind."
The Warriors also added D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade after Kevin Durant decided to join the Nets.
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