If Warriors are pursuing Corey Maggette, it's not good news

July 7, 5:30 PMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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Corey Maggette: Beware 

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Warriors have reached out to Clippers free agent forward Corey Maggette.

This should come as a disturbing development to Warriors fans.

Not because Maggette isn’t a useful player and might be able to help the Warriors, but because it’s not the right time, place or circumstance to try to go get him. It seems apparent Maggette turned up on the Warriors’ radar only when Baron Davis opted out and money became available.

That’s OK. The Warriors only reached out to Elton Brand because Davis opted out. And if Brand were to accept the Warriors’ $90-million-ish offer most would assess that kind of transaction as positive.

But let’s be clear: Maggette is no Brand.  

If we’re talking about signing Maggette to the mid-level exception (as the Chron says), you could make a case it would be worth it _ a salary starting in the $5 to $6 million range. But Maggette isn't coming to the Warriors for the mid-level, and they know it.

If Maggette is going to play for the mid-level, it’s going to be for the San Antonio Spurs or Boston Celtics, two teams very interested in his services. For the Warriors, he’s going to cost more than that. The only way Maggette is coming to the Warriors is for four or five years at a number starting at $7 million or so.

The real concern Warriors fans should have is if management, perhaps feeling the sting of Davis' departure and a possible snubbing by Brand, makes a desperate stab at Maggette as a way of demonstrating it's not sitting on its hands.

If the Warriors give Maggette more than three years at more than $6 million per, they're going to regret the move.

And here’s why:

 ⇒First off, Maggette is injury prone. He’s been in the league nine seasons and has played 70 or more games just four times in his career. Maggette’s body says Iron Man; his stats say Tin Man.

⇒Maggette is a great sub, the kind of aggressive scorer you love coming off the bench. He has a shoot first mentality and is a mediocre defender at best. In other words, as a sixth man he’s great, as a starter he’s not.

⇒Maggette has made it clear he wants to start and be a primary offensive option. But he’s the type of high-maintenance player who doesn’t make teammates better. In fact, because he doesn’t create much, there tends to be a lot of standing around when he’s got the ball on the perimeter.

⇒Maggette has never played for a winner. His teams have missed the playoffs in eight of the nine seasons he’s been in the league. The one year a Maggette team made the playoffs was in 2006, when the Clippers made it to the postseason. That year Maggette played 32 games.

Corey Maggette at three years, $16 or $17 million or so … maybe. Corey Maggette at five years for $40 million? No way.