Marreese Speights' Contract Option Picked Up by Warriors: Details and Reaction

As the Golden State Warriors continue their attempt to trade former All-Star David Lee, they've decided to retain his ostensive replacement, picking up the 2015-16 option on Marreese Speights' contract Monday.

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the news. Speights, 27, will make $3.82 million in the final season of a three-year, $10.97 million contract he signed in 2013. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2014-15, making the relatively small deal "too much of a bargain to pass up," as noted by Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.

“He was good for us,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters of picking up the option last week, “so I think we’re inclined to."

Having Speights around for next season will be vital as Golden State tries to rid itself of Lee's onerous $15.49 million salary. Lee and Speights competed for minutes as the Warriors' top big man off the bench when healthy during their championship run.

However, with Speights due far less money, the decision of whom to bring back is a no-brainer. (Golden State will be well into the luxury tax if it keeps Lee and re-signs Draymond Green at a salary at or near the max.)

Grantland's Zach Lowe reported the team attempted to package the No. 30 pick with Lee to no avail. The Warriors took UCLA forward Kevon Looney with the selection, a raw young power forward who may wind up replacing Speights in the rotation a year from now.

In the here and now, though, keeping Speights around will allow the Warriors to concentrate on their two most pressing tasks: re-signing their starting power forward (Green) and ridding themselves of the man he replaced (Lee). 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.